(MENAFN) Two men suspected of participating in the recent jewel theft at the Louvre Museum have been formally placed under investigation and remain in custody, media reported Wednesday evening.

The suspects, both in their 30s, were apprehended Saturday night and have "partially admitted" their involvement in the crime, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said earlier Wednesday, noting that the stolen jewels have yet to be recovered.

One suspect was intercepted at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to board an international flight, while the second was arrested shortly afterward in a northern Paris suburb.

Beccuau warned that authorities have not dismissed the possibility of "a wider network beyond the four perpetrators identified by surveillance footage." She added that investigators have conducted more than 150 forensic examinations "with the utmost urgency."

The theft, which occurred on Oct. 19, targeted eight pieces of French crown jewels. Local media report that over 100 investigators have been deployed to trace the suspects and recover the missing items.

The museum reopened three days after the heist, which involved jewelry valued at roughly 88 million euros (102 million U.S. dollars). (1 euro = 1.16 U.S. dollar)

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