French police investigating the theft of $102 million in jewels from the Louvre have found a potential break in the case. Police told ABC News that DNA evidence was found in a helmet and a glove discarded by the thieves after the Sunday heist. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said Thursday that up to "150 DNA samples, fingerprints and other traces" have been identified and that analyzing them is a top priority, France24 reports. She said the samples could provide leads within a few days, especially if the perpetrators, suspected to be career criminals, have criminal records.
Experts said the crown jewels stolen in the heist might have already been broken up. But Beccuau said that security cameras had helped police track the thieves "in Paris and in surrounding regions," and that with so much media attention on the case, "the robbers will not really dare move with the jewels." Bystander video has emerged of the thieves making their getaway, NBC News reports. They escaped on scooters after getting down from the Apollo Gallery on a basket lift on a truck.
Louvre Director Laurence des Cars faced lawmakers Wednesday, revealing that she had offered her resignation after the robbery but that it was turned down. Des Cars described the theft as a profound shock to staff and art lovers worldwide, calling it "an immense wound." She said the only exterior camera at the Apollo Gallery didn't cover the window the thieves broke in through. Officials said evidence points to organized crime, but investigators haven't ruled out the possibility of an inside job, ABC reports.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
