Louvre Robbery Suspects ‘Partially’ Admit To Heist Involvement, Hit With Preliminary Charges | EUROtoday

The two suspects arrested within the Louvre heist have “partially” admitted to the plot and have been hit with preliminary fees, based on a Paris prosecutor.

The preliminary fees embrace legal conspiracy and theft dedicated by an organized gang, prosecutor Laure Beccuau mentioned in a press convention on Wednesday. If convicted, they might each face heavy fines and 15 years in jail.

“Both have partially admitted their involvement to investigators,” Beccuau mentioned on the press convention, based on French information outlet France 24, which stories in English.

The two suspects — a 34-year-old man from Algeria and a 39-year-old man from Aubervilliers, France — have been arrested Saturday after DNA was recovered from the scene.

The 34-year-old suspect, who has theft and site visitors violations on his report, was taken into custody on the airport when he was trying to return to Algeria, based on The Associated Press. The 39-year-old suspect, who has beforehand been convicted of committing aggravated theft, was arrested at his residence, AP additionally reported.

“We do not rule out the possibility of a larger group, including a person who commissioned the theft and may have been the intended recipient of the stolen jewels,” Beccuau mentioned on the press convention.

The people who performed the heist on Oct. 19 stole eight items of the French crown jewels value 88 million euros ($102 million) in beneath eight minutes. The heist concerned a van with a ladder that took them straight as much as the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery and a getaway on scooters. The museum was evacuated because the theft passed off.

“There is nothing to suggest that the four perpetrators benefited from any form of inside help within the museum,” Beccuau additionally mentioned.

Louvre director Laurence des Cars mentioned final week that their entry level was a surveillance digicam blind spot, which means safety wasn’t capable of see the break-in earlier than they made it contained in the museum.

Despite having two suspects in custody, the authorities shouldn’t have possession of the stolen jewellery, Beccuau mentioned on the press convention.

“I’d like to keep the hope that they will be found and could be returned to the Louvre museum and the nation,” Beccuau continued, based on CNN. “These jewels are now unsellable. Anyone who buys them would be guilty of the offense of handling stolen goods. There is still time to return them.”