In one of the most audacious museum heists in recent history, four thieves smashed their way into Paris' Louvre museum on Sunday morning (19 October) and escaped with crown jewels worth €88 million.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft, according to French media reports.
Items valued at €88 million (£76 million; $102 million) were stolen from the world's most-visited museum, including diadems (a jewelled headband), necklaces, ear-rings and brooches.
Previous reports indicated the thieves also dropped a crown that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. All the jewellery is from the 19th century, and once belonged to French royalty or imperial rulers, the BBC reported.
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The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that one of the men was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he prepared to board a flight. France's justice minister has admitted that security protocols 'failed,' leaving the country with a 'terrible image.'
DNA evidence found at the crime scene led investigators to identify one of the suspects, reports from French media stated. The gang left behind several items during their escape, including gloves and a high-visibility jacket.
No official prison sentences have been confirmed yet, as approximately 60 investigators continue working on the case.
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Although prosecutors have theorised that the robbers were acting under orders from a larger criminal organisation rather than operating independently.
The search continues for four suspects, and investigators are meticulously reviewing CCTV footage from the escape route to identify the remaining thieves and trace their movements.
While official sentencing won't occur until after trial and conviction, experts have provided estimates of what the thieves could face if found guilty.
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According to an analysis by OpenAI's ChatGPT led by UNILAD Tech, the convicted thieves could face approximately 10-20 years in prison.
The AI chatbot explained: "If the suspects are convicted on charges such as organised theft, criminal conspiracy, damage to cultural heritage, etc, I would estimate a sentence in the range of 10-20 years in prison, possibly more if additional aggravating factors (violence, recidivism, international trafficking) are proved."
The analysis added: "If the case were treated less severely (for example if it were judged as theft without strong aggravating factors) the sentence might still be significant but perhaps in the 5-10 years range."
However, this is only an estimate. The exact sentence will depend on several factors, such as 'how many suspects are charged, what specific charges are laid, how the prosecution frames the case, whether the items are recovered, whether violence or threat was used, and the defendants’ criminal records,' ChatGPT confirmed.
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The Louvre remains closed to the public while investigations into the robbery continue.