British News Agency

According to *Le Parisien*, the suspects were from the Seine-Saint-Denis district of Paris, and one of them was preparing to board a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Last Sunday, four thieves equipped with power tools broke into the world’s most visited museum in broad daylight and stole items of priceless value.

The French Minister of Justice admitted that the security protocols had “failed” and that the country was left with a “terrible image.”

The gang reportedly arrived at the museum around 9:30 a.m. (6:30 GMT), shortly after it opened to visitors.

The suspects used a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the *Galerie d’Apollon* (Apollo Gallery) via a balcony near the Seine River.

Photos from the scene show a ladder leading up to a first-floor window.

Two of the thieves cut through the window using electric tools and entered the building.

They then threatened security guards, who evacuated the area, and smashed the glass of two display cases containing the jewels.

According to French media, a preliminary report revealed that one in three rooms in the raided section of the museum had no security cameras.

French police stated that the thieves remained inside for about four minutes before escaping at 9:38 a.m. on two scooters waiting outside.

Authorities said that security around France’s cultural institutions has been tightened.