What to know about the Louvre heist investigation

BY NICOLAS VAUX-MONTAGNY and SAM METZ Associated Press PARIS More than investigators are racing to piece together how thieves pulled off the brazen heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris working to recover the stolen gems and bring those responsible to justice The daytime theft of centuries-old jewels from the world s most-visited museum thought to be of key cultural and monetary value has captured the world s attention for its audacity and movie plot-like details But thus far little has been revealed about how the scrutiny is unfolding a source of frustration for those accustomed to the -hour flow of information in American true crime or British tabloids Persons of interest like the jewels themselves have remained out of sight the incident file cloaked in mystery and French leadership characteristically discreet A police van patrols in the courtyard of the closed Louvre museum after a robbery Sunday Oct in Paris AP Photo Thibault Camus Police officers work by a basket lift used by thieves Sunday Oct at the Louvre museum in Paris AP Photo Thibault Camus Police officers left patrol as people queue to enter Le Louvre museum Monday Oct in Paris AP Photo Christophe Ena Police officers look for clues by a basket lift used by thieves Sunday Oct at the Louvre museum in Paris AP Photo Thibault Camus Show Caption of A police van patrols in the courtyard of the closed Louvre museum after a robbery Sunday Oct in Paris AP Photo Thibault Camus Expand Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau explained on Sunday that more details would come once the subjects custody period ends likely around midweek depending on the charges But here s what we know so far about the matter What investigators want to know Bureaucrats announced it took mere minutes for thieves to ride a lift up the side of the museum smash display cases and steal eight objects worth an estimated million euros million on Oct The haul included a sapphire diadem necklace and single earring from a set linked to th-century queens Marie-Am lie and Hortense Beccuau has not publicly informed what charges the subjects could face though French media have revealed that the charges include criminal conspiracy and organized theft which can carry hefty fines and yearslong prison sentences How France handles arrests Beccuau declared investigators made several arrests Saturday evening but didn t name them or say how numerous One suspect she added was stopped at a Paris airport while trying to leave the country In France where privacy laws are strict images of criminal persons are not made populace as they often are elsewhere Defendants aren t paraded before cameras upon arrest or shown in mugshots Related Articles World s oldest president Paul Biya wins Cameroon voting at Kremlin says its test of a nuclear-powered missile reflects safety concerns Milei triumphs in Argentine midterm elections closely watched by Washington Two strong quakes in the Atlantic Ocean rattle the eastern Caribbean The present day in History October Curse of the Bambino reversed The presumption of innocence is inscribed in France s constitution and deeply valued throughout society The French often express shock at the spectacle of criminal trials in the United States including in when media outlets photographed Dominique Strauss-Kahn then a candidate in France s presidential electoral contest on a perp walk to a New York prison after he was indicted on charges he sexually assaulted a hotel maid The charges were eventually dismissed Information about investigations is meant to be secret under French law a protocol known as secret d instruction and only the prosecutor can speak publicly about developments Police and investigators are not supposed to divulge information about arrests or accused without the prosecutor s approval though in previous high-profile cases police union authorities have leaked partial details Beccuau on Saturday rued the leak of information about the ongoing study A police official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing episode communicated The Associated Press that two men in their s both known to police were taken into custody He disclosed one suspect was arrested as he attempted to board a plane bound for Algeria Additional arrests may follow as the assessment continues Inside the inquiry The more than investigators that Beccuau revealed are assigned to the episode are combing through DNA samples surveillance footage and evidence left behind in the thieves wake Those assigned include the Brigade for the Repression of Banditry the special police unit in charge of armed robberies serious burglaries and art thefts Recovering the jewels could be among the largest part formidable parts of investigators work French administration have added the jewels to Interpol s Stolen Works of Art Database a global repository of about missing cultural items Interpol the world s largest international police organization does not issue arrest warrants But if officers worry a suspect may flee Interpol can circulate the information using a color-coded notice system The French investigators can also work with European officials if required They can turn to the European Union s judicial cooperation agency Eurojust or its law enforcement agency Europol Eurojust works through judicial cooperation between prosecutors and magistrates while Europol works with police agencies Both can help facilitate investigations and arrests throughout the -member bloc Requests for help must come from the national officers and neither organization can initiate an inquiry What happens next Beccuau explained more details would be disclosed once the subjects time in custody expires How long that lasts depends on what they re accused of If as French media have broadcasted they re being investigated for criminal conspiracy they can be held for up to hours before charges are filed But don t expect a flood of updates Indictments and verdicts are not routinely made community in France French trials are not televised and journalists are not allowed to film or photograph anything inside the courtroom during a trial Metz stated from Rabat Morocco Molly Quell contributed reporting from The Hague