16 arrested over Kardashian Paris robbery

Paris : French police arrested 16 people in raids early Monday over the robbery of US reality TV star Kim Kardashian in Paris last year, police sources said.

Police swooped in the Paris region and the south of France following the discovery of DNA at the luxury Paris residence where Kardashian was tied up and robbed of jewellery worth around nine million euros ($9.5 million) in October, one source said.

"One of the DNA samples matched an individual known to police for robbery and criminal offences, who is considered a major thug," the source said.

Money and documents were also seized in the raids.

A gang of armed and masked men had burst into the residence in a chic area of the capital where 36-year-old Kardashian and her entourage were staying during fashion week.

The star was tied up and locked in the bathroom and the gang fled with jewellery including a ring worth around four million euros and a case of jewellery with a value of five million euros.