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BERLIN, November 1. /TASS/. CGI Group, an Israeli business specializing in security and analysis, said it was offered to buy the jewels stolen from the Louvre Museum for parts, the Bild newspaper reported. "Five days after the Louvre heist, a person, who called himself a spokesman for the thieves, contacted us via the official website of CGI Group. He asked whether we would like to discuss buying the stolen works of art on darknet and said we have 24 hours in which to prepare a response," founder and CEO Zvika Nave told the German newspaper. What began as communication on CGI website later transformed into a darknet chat, he said. According to him, after a lengthy check, the company concluded that the unknown person "did own at least part of the stolen jewels." Even as CGI Group reported the communication to French police, the stolen gems were not returned. On October 19, four burglars used a furniture hoist to enter the Louvre Museum. They broke into the Apollon Gallery and stole as many as nine pieces of jewelry. However, the gang dropped Empress Eugenie’s crown with 1,354 diamonds as they fled the scene. Investigators believe the theft was carried out by professionals. The crown jewels are worth an estimated €88 million, Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau has stated. On October 25, two suspects were arrested, of whom one attempted to fly to Algeria. According to Beccuau, the pair have "partially admitted" to taking part in the robbery. On October 29, they were charged with theft and placed into custody. The Paris prosecutor said video surveillance confirmed that at least four people participated in the theft, as she did not rule out that a larger gang was involved in the Louvre heist.
