French police have arrested six people in connection with the September theft of paintings from the Auguste Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Two are suspected of taking part in the break-in, local media reported.
Nice-Matin and BFMTV reported the arrests, citing sources. They took place across four departments: Alpes-Maritimes, where Cagnes-sur-Mer is located, Hérault, Jura and Doubs.
The burglary took place on September 8. According to reports, two masked men entered the museum early in the morning, smashed the glass in the entrance door and used an electric saw to cut through metal fixtures. They took four paintings. Two were abandoned in the garden as the men fled police.
The two works still missing are Young Woman at the Well and Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano. Their combined value is estimated at more than 4 million euros. The arrests do not mean the suspects have been found guilty.
Europol said in an August report that museum robberies had become more violent in recent years. That assessment provides broader context for the case being investigated by French law enforcement.