France arrests 3rd suspect over Louvre Museum burglary in Paris

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the burglary at the Louvre Museum earlier this month, French media reported Thursday.

According to BFMTV, police detained the suspect on Wednesday evening in the Paris region.

He remains in custody for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation into the Oct. 19 break-in at the world-renowned museum.

The arrest comes after two other individuals, believed to be his accomplices, were charged and placed in pre-trial detention on Wednesday.

The third man is suspected of belonging to the so-called “Louvre commando” and of being present at the scene during the burglary.

An investigation led by the Paris judicial police is continuing.

The thieves stole eight items from the museum, estimated to be worth €88 million ($102.3 million). The stolen collection includes a necklace and an earring from the Marie-Louise collection, a necklace, earrings, and a tiara from the Marie-Amélie and Hortense collections, and two brooches, a bodice bow, and a tiara from the Empress Eugenie collection.

Investigators later found Eugenie’s crown, which the robbers abandoned near the museum -- a discovery that a Louvre security guard described as evidence that their “plan was thwarted.”