Louvre jewel theft: seven arrested as probe widens

Two men were arrested Saturday evening and five more were detained later in the week in connection with the daylight theft of French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, Paris prosecutors and investigators said, as authorities continue to search for the missing treasures and probe a possible wider criminal network. The arrests follow the brazen October 19 raid on the museum’s Apollo Gallery, which officials say saw thieves climb to a first-floor window, smash display cases and flee within minutes with eight historic pieces valued at about 88 million euros, roughly 102 million dollars.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the first two arrests were made after forensic work linked DNA traces from items left at the scene to suspects under surveillance. One man was detained at Charles de Gaulle airport while preparing to board a flight abroad; the other was arrested in the Paris region. Beccuau later announced that five additional people were arrested in coordinated operations, bringing the number of detainees to seven. She said some of those held have partially admitted their involvement and that investigators do not rule out the existence of a larger group or a person who...