French prosecutors have charged two additional suspects in connection with last month’s audacious €88 million jewel theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris — one of the largest art-related robberies in recent history.
A 38-year-old woman has been charged with complicity in organised theft and criminal conspiracy, while a 37-year-old man faces charges of theft and criminal conspiracy. Both deny any involvement and have been remanded in custody, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.
The pair were among five people arrested earlier this week in and around the French capital. Three others were released without charge.
Two men previously arrested have already been charged after partially admitting involvement in the 19 October daylight robbery, when four masked thieves used a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the museum’s Galerie d’Apollon home to France’s royal jewels.
The robbers broke into display cases with power tools, seizing eight priceless pieces, including:
- A diamond-and-emerald tiara once worn by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III
- The Marie-Louise necklace and matching earrings
- Several items belonging to Queen Marie-Amélie
The entire heist took less than eight minutes. The thieves escaped on scooters waiting by the River Seine, later switching vehicles. One crown was dropped during their getaway, but the remaining jewels are still missing.
Prosecutors fear the stolen items may have already been trafficked abroad, though investigators remain hopeful of recovery.
Preliminary findings released by Culture Minister Rachida Dati revealed major lapses in security — including a camera pointed away from the balcony used by the thieves. The Louvre has since tightened surveillance and transferred several high-value jewels to the Bank of France for safekeeping.
The museum’s director and several senior staff are also expected to appear before the French Senate’s culture committee to answer questions about the breach.
