PARIS (CNN) -- Kim Kardashian West's Paris chauffeur is one of 17 people arrested in connection with the armed robbery of the reality star last year, officials said.
The suspects were detained by French police on Monday for questioning over the theft at gunpoint of jewels and cash worth $10 million from Kardashian West in her Paris hotel room in October, a spokesman for the Paris prosecutor told CNN.
According to the prosecutor, those held are between the ages of 23 and 73 and can be held for up to 96 hours for questioning.
"These arrests are a nice surprise," Jean Veil, Kardashian West's French lawyer, reportedly told France's L'Express magazine.
"On the one hand, it will perhaps mean the jewels will be recovered and on the other hand it puts an end to disgraceful speculation by some people, who thought it clever to pretend this robbery was a set-up or a publicity stunt by Madame Kardashian."
Gun held to Kardashian's head
In the aftermath of the attack, the French Interior Ministry revealed five men threatened the concierge at the mansion with a weapon, handcuffed him and forced him to open the private apartment.
Two of the men were able to gain entry to Kardashian West's room, according to the Paris prosecutor's office, and a gun was held to her head.
A source familiar with the situation told CNN that Kardashian West pleaded for her life as she was threatened with the gun, and was bound and forced into a bathtub. Tape was placed over her mouth.
Kardashian West's two children, North West and Saint West, were in New York at the time, the source said.
The men took two cell phones and jewelry worth millions of dollars, according to the Interior Ministry. But only one of the phones belonged to Kardashian West, the source told CNN.
The prosecutor's office said a ring worth an estimated 4 million euros ($4.5 million) and a jewelry box with contents worth about 5 million euros ($5.6 million) were stolen.
Kardashian's former bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, was with Kardashian West's sisters Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner at a nightclub when the attack happened. He has said publicly he thought the robbery was an inside job.
"They're going to shoot me"
Kardashian West looks set to break her silence over the robbery in the new season of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," where a promo shows the reality star tearfully recalling the night thieves held her at gunpoint.
"They're going to shoot me in the back," Kardashian West tells her sisters. "There's no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it."
"Keeping Up With the Kardashians" halted filming for a time after the robbery and Kardashian West has not given any interviews about the incident. She had been in Paris for Fashion Week and E! cameras were not present at the time of the crime.
But based on the clip released Friday, the trauma will feature prominently during the show's next season.
Kardashian West is also seen crying on the phone saying, "Don't scare me, please. What's going on?"
The new season of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" debuts on E! in March.
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