The hunt for those behind one of France’s most audacious robberies has intensified after five new suspects were arrested in connection with the spectacular Louvre jewellery heist. Paris’ public prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, confirmed that the arrests took place on Wednesday night in a series of coordinated raids across the Paris region, including the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis. One of the suspects is believed to be part of the four-man team seen on CCTV storming the Louvre in broad daylight earlier this month.

The arrests bring new momentum to an investigation that has gripped France since October 19, when a group of masked thieves managed to breach security at the world’s most-visited museum and make off with eight priceless jewels, including a diamond-encrusted tiara and the famed Marie-Louise necklace. The stolen collection, valued at €88 million ($102 million), once belonged to French royalty and Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. The heist, which took place inside the museum’s Gallery of Apollo, has been described by French authorities as “a surgical operation executed with military precision.”

Beccuau told French radio station RTL on Thursday that the five suspects were caught during simultaneous raids after weeks of surveillance and intelligence work. Investigators seized several phones and electronic devices, which they say could contain encrypted messages exchanged between the robbers before and after the crime. “The data found on these devices is proving crucial,” Beccuau said. “It allows us to retrace their movements and better understand how the theft was planned and coordinated.” She added that DNA found at the scene may match one of those newly detained. “We had him in our sights,” she said, hinting that this suspect could be a key player in the operation.

So far, two men, both in their thirties with prior criminal records, had already been taken into custody last week. They have reportedly “partially recognised” their roles in the heist. One was arrested while attempting to board a one-way flight to Algeria, while the other was caught near Paris. Beccuau clarified that the latest arrests were not based on statements from the two earlier suspects, but on “other elements” uncovered by investigators. The growing list of arrests suggests that the gang behind the theft may be far larger than initially believed.

French investigators have pieced together a picture of a carefully choreographed operation that unfolded in under ten minutes. The thieves arrived at the Louvre at 9:30 a.m., just after opening hours, using a stolen vehicle equipped with a mechanical lift to access the Gallery of Apollo through a balcony overlooking the River Seine. Once inside, they used a disc cutter to slice open display cases, snatching jewels before speeding off on two waiting scooters at 9:38 a.m. They later abandoned the scooters and switched to cars heading east out of Paris. Despite the chaos of the theft, no one inside the museum was harmed, and witnesses later described the incident as “eerily quiet and swift.”

In the aftermath of the robbery, France’s Justice Minister criticized the Louvre’s “failed security protocols,” noting that one of the museum’s key surveillance cameras had been facing away from the balcony the thieves climbed. That misdirected camera allowed the gang to carry out the theft almost undetected. The museum’s director later admitted that the oversight had been a “catastrophic error,” prompting a massive security overhaul at France’s cultural institutions. Since the heist, the Louvre has transferred its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France, where they are now kept 26 meters underground in one of the nation’s most secure vaults.

Authorities continue to search for the missing jewels, which have yet to resurface on the black market. Experts believe they may have been quickly smuggled abroad or dismantled for resale. International agencies, including Interpol, have been alerted to monitor suspicious gem trades across Europe and North Africa. Meanwhile, investigators remain cautious, saying that while arrests mark progress, recovering the treasures remains a race against time. “We are closing in,” Beccuau said confidently. “But this kind of network is complex—each arrest only opens another door.”

The Louvre heist has captivated the public imagination not only because of the staggering value of the stolen pieces, but also for the elegance and precision with which it was executed. The idea that a group could infiltrate one of the world’s most heavily guarded museums in daylight has reignited debates about the vulnerability of France’s cultural heritage. As police tighten their grip on the suspects, Parisians are left wondering whether the glittering jewels of Napoleon’s era will ever return to their rightful place, or remain forever lost in the shadows of the criminal underworld.