French prosecutors have filed additional charges in the investigation of last month’s high-profile jewel theft at the Louvre Museum, expanding the number of individuals formally accused to four and narrowing the list of people still in custody. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Saturday that two men, ages 37 and 38, were charged with organized robbery and conspiracy to commit organized robbery. Both suspects deny any role in the crime and will remain in detention while the inquiry continues.
The latest development follows the arrest of five people on October 29 in connection with the October 19 theft. Authorities said three of those detainees have now been released without charge, leaving the two newly charged men as the only suspects from that initial sweep still behind bars. Earlier in the week, investigators had already brought identical charges against two other men who were taken into custody at separate international travel points. One was apprehended at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria, and the second was detained as he prepared to depart for Mali. Those earlier arrests occurred during a coordinated operation that spanned several French jurisdictions and involved cooperation with border-control officials.
The original robbery took place shortly after opening hours on October 19. According to police reports, four masked intruders entered a restricted display area inside the Louvre and removed eight pieces of jewelry whose total value has been estimated at $102 million. Security camera footage indicates the group spent roughly seven minutes inside the gallery before fleeing through an emergency exit. No visitors or staff members were injured, but the incident prompted a temporary closure of certain wings of the museum and heightened security measures throughout the facility.
