Paris's prosecutor has revealed that last month's jewellery heist at the Louvre museum was the work of petty criminals rather than professionals from organized crime.
Speaking on franceinfo radio, Laure Beccuau emphasized, This is not quite everyday delinquency... but it is a type of delinquency that we do not generally associate with the upper echelons of organized crime. The prosecutor reported that the four individuals arrested, living in the impoverished Seine-Saint-Denis area just north of Paris, were clearly local inhabitants.
On October 19, the heist, which resulted in €88 million (£76 million; $102 million) worth of jewels being stolen, has left a significant impact on the museum and the public.
In her interview, Beccuau mentioned that two of the suspects had previous convictions for theft. Amidst the investigation, a 38-year-old woman was charged with complicity related to organized theft, while a 37-year-old man was also charged. Both suspects have denied their involvement.
The supervision of security has tightened around France's cultural institutions since the theft, with the Louvre safeguarding its most prized jewels by relocating them to the Bank of France.
On the day of the heist, suspects utilized a stolen vehicle-mounted lift to access the gallery, successfully escaping in four minutes with their loot.
As the investigation progresses, one suspect is still on the run, while there are ongoing efforts to retrieve the missing jewels, believed to be smuggled abroad.
