thief

The latest arrests mean three of the four alleged thieves are now in police custody.

Beccuau said the thieves were inside for four minutes and made their escape on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38, before switching to cars and heading east.

She said public and private security cameras had allowed detectives to track the thieves -- some of whom wore balaclavas and high-visibility vests during the heist carried out in broad daylight -- in Paris and surrounding districts.

The storage facility targeted by thieves is off-site; authorities did not disclose the address or how long it took for staff to discover the items were missing.

Ten days after thieves pulled off a heist that shocked the world, French investigators hope the arrests will provide their sweeping investigation with sufficient leads to track down the jewels.