The Paris prosecutor confirmed that four people were involved in Sunday's robbery and said authorities were analyzing fingerprints found at the scene.
The loot stolen from the Louvre is valued at €88 million, a French prosecutor said, as scrutiny mounted over security at the cultural institutions in France. Thieves on Sunday made off with priceless royal jewels from the Louvre Museum in a brazen daylight robbery which lasted just seven minutes.
"The Louvre curator estimated the damages to be €88 million," or $102 million, said Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, calling it an "extraordinary" sum. But she said the greater loss was to France's historical heritage, adding that the thieves would not pocket the full windfall if they had "the very bad idea of melting down these jewels."
The heist has reignited a row over the lack of security in French museums, after two other institutions were hit last month. A report by France's Court of Auditors seen by Agence France-Presse covering 2019 to 2024 points to a "persistent" delay in security upgrades at the Louvre. Only a fourth of one wing was covered by video surveillance.
In January, Louvre president Laurence des Cars warned Culture Minister Rachida Dati of a "worrying level of obsolescence," citing the urgent need for major renovations. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez on Monday said he would tighten security outside cultural institutions.