Two Additional Suspects Charged in Louvre Jewel Heist

French authorities have charged two additional individuals in connection with the recent theft of royal jewels from the Louvre Museum, bringing the total number of charged suspects to four. The stolen jewels, valued at approximately $100 million, remain missing.

The Paris prosecutor's office announced that a 37-year-old man has been charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy, while a 38-year-old woman faces charges of complicity in preparing the crime. Both suspects deny involvement. The man was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he attempted to leave the country, and the woman was arrested at her residence in the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers.

Two other men, aged 34 and 39, were previously charged with similar offenses. One of these individuals was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria, and the other was arrested in Seine-Saint-Denis near Paris. Both have prior criminal records for theft and have "partially admitted" to the crime, according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau.

The heist occurred on October 19, when thieves used a cherry picker to access the Louvre's Apollo Gallery. Disguised as maintenance workers, they entered through a window, used a circular saw to cut into glass cases, and stole eight valuable items, including jewel-encrusted diadems, tiaras, and necklaces once owned by Napoleon's wives and 19th-century French queens. The entire operation lasted under eight minutes. One crown was later found discarded outside the museum, damaged but recoverable.

The incident has sparked national outrage and prompted calls for enhanced museum security. Louvre Director Laurence des Cars acknowledged shortcomings in the museum's surveillance systems, noting that parts of the building were not adequately covered by external cameras at the time of the theft. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the robbery as "an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history" and pledged to recover the jewels and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Investigations are ongoing, with authorities working to locate the missing jewels and determine the full extent of the criminal network involved.