The member of the International Olympic Committee arrived in Paris earlier this month to attend a security committee meeting ahead of the Summer Olympics, which France is preparing to host in 2024.

The three men, aged between 22 and 25, were arrested last week in Seine-Saint-Denis, a low-income suburb north of Paris that is to host key Olympic events and the athletes’ village, several law enforcement sources, who asked not to be named, told AFP late yesterday.

On Oct 11, the Mongolian official, who was not named, and his wife were travelling from Charles de Gaulle Airport when they were robbed in the Landy Tunnel heading to the centre of the capital, according to the prosecutors.

The 1.3km-long tunnel is notorious for smash-and-grab thefts.

During the heist, a scooter with two men approached the car, with one of the thieves breaking a window and snatching a bag containing jewellery from the back seat, a police source said.

The Mongolian couple estimated the contents of the stolen bag at €570,000, prosecutors said.

According to the International Olympic Committee, the victim runs several companies in Mongolia.

Investigators believe that on Oct 2, the same team robbed two Saudi travellers, stealing €500,000 worth of jewels and other valuables.

During the searches, police were not able to find any valuables but numerous photos of jewellery have been discovered on the suspects’ phones, police sources said.

The men admitted to having earned €6,000 euros reselling watches but remained silent on the fate of the Mongolian couple’s jewels.

The suspects were placed in pre-trial detention, and a court hearing is set to take place on Nov 30.