Paris’s Louvre Museum was hit by a brazen day-light robbery on October 19, when thieves escaped with jewels worth around $102 million. Investigators say the entire theft took less than eight minutes. In a recent development, two more people have been charged in connection with the theft, bringing the total number of individuals formally charged to four, the city’s prosecutor’s office confirmed on Saturday.
As reported by The New York Times, a 38-year-old woman has been charged with “complicity in organised theft and criminal conspiracy,” while a 37-year-old man has been charged with “theft and criminal conspiracy.” Both suspects have denied any involvement in the heist.
Authorities have so far arrested seven suspects in the case, however, three have been released after questioning.
Two more charged in $100 million Louvre heist
The new charges come just days after two other men were charged with theft and conspiracy. Officials said the two had “partially recognised” their role in the brazen daylight robbery.
On October 19, four men carried out a less than 10-minute heist inside the Galerie d’Apollon and escaped with jewels worth €88 million (about ₹790 crore). Among the stolen pieces were a gold tiara worn by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, the Marie-Louise necklace, and a pair of diamond-and-pearl earrings. The robbers managed to get away with 8 out of 9 stolen jewels.
According to AFP, the 38-year-old woman appeared in court and confirmed that she lived in La Courneuve, a northern suburb of Paris. The magistrate ordered her to remain in custody, citing concerns that she might contact others involved or tamper with evidence.
The 37-year-old man with several records of past robberies was also ordered to remain in pre-trial detention. Prosecutors say his DNA was found at the scene, suggesting he could be one of the two men who waited outside the museum while the heist took place.
“This is a spectacular heist, and the decision that has just been made is a spectacular one,” Adrien Sorrentino, a lawyer for the woman suspect in custody, said per The Guardian. “A young woman has just been placed in detention despite being presumed innocent.”
Hunt for the fourth suspect
Police say one of the four men involved in the heist is still on the run. Investigators have arrested seven people so far, including those now charged, but none have been publicly identified. No jewels have been recovered yet, and more than 100 investigators have been working on the case since the morning of the theft.
The theft has caused outrage and embarrassment in France, with many calling it a “humiliating failure” for the nation’s cultural pride. Culture Minister Rachida Dati admitted that the Louvre’s security systems were outdated and under-equipped. “It’s a failure, a security failure, and more broadly, a failure for everyone,” Dati said on French television. She has since ordered a full audit and the creation of a dedicated security and safety department at the museum.
The Louvre has since moved several of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France for safekeeping.