Louvre heist suspects appear before Paris magistrates

Several suspects arrested this week over an audacious jewel heist at the Louvre museum appeared before magistrates at a Paris court on Saturday, prosecutors told AFP. 

The Paris public prosecutor's office did not specify the number of suspects brought before the court. 

Last month, thieves wielding power tools raided the Louvre, the world's most visited art museum, in broad daylight, taking just seven minutes to steal jewellery worth an estimated $102 million.

French authorities initially announced the arrest of two suspects, and this week prosecutors said that police had arrested five more people, including a prime suspect.

The five detentions took place in and around the French capital, particularly in the northern suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis.

The first two men were charged with theft and criminal conspiracy after "partially admitting to the charges", Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Wednesday. 

They are suspected of being the two who broke into the gallery while two accomplices waited outside.

The stolen loot remains missing.

© Agence France-Presse