A 38-year-old resident of La Courneuve, in northern Paris, has been formally charged and placed into custody in connection with the high-value jewel heist at the Louvre Museum, where thieves stole an estimated USD 102 million worth of historic treasures. Prosecutors have accused her of criminal conspiracy and complicity in organised theft linked to the dramatic operation that unfolded last month. During her initial court appearance, she reportedly became emotional and expressed fear for her safety and that of her children. The judge ordered her detention due to concerns over possible coordination with accomplices and potential disruption to public order.
A second suspect, a 37-year-old man, has also been charged and placed in pre-trial detention, although both individuals deny participating in the theft. The arrests form part of a wider police effort that saw five people detained across Paris and surrounding areas this week. Three of those have been released without charges. Earlier, two other suspects had been charged after they partially admitted involvement in the crime.
The robbery, carried out in broad daylight on 19 October, involved four individuals who used a stolen vehicle equipped with a lift to access the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon from an exterior balcony overlooking the River Seine. They quickly smashed display cases with power tools and removed several priceless jewels, including a historic emerald-and-diamond necklace once owned by Empress Marie-Louise. The group used scooters to escape before switching vehicles and abandoning a diamond-and-emerald crown belonging to Empress Eugénie during their flight.
French authorities described the heist as one of the boldest and most sophisticated cultural thefts in recent memory. Despite progress in the investigation, the majority of the stolen items remain missing, and investigators suspect the jewels may have already been moved out of the country. In response to the security breach, Culture Minister Rachida Dati announced major reforms to museum security across national cultural institutions, and the Louvre has transferred several of its most valuable artifacts to the Bank of France vaults as a precaution.
