Paris State Prosecutor Laure Beccuau gives a press conference along with representatives of the French police’s anti-gang unit BRB (Brigade de Repression du Banditisme) and the Central Office for Combating Trafficking in Cultural Property (OCBC), regarding the opening of a judicial investigation into the Louvre museum jewelry heist, in Paris on October 29, 2025. Credit – Stephane De Sakutin—AFP via Getty Images
Authorities working on the case of the heist of priceless Napoleonic crown jewels from the Louvre last month have revealed key information about the team currently suspected of the daring raid.
Prosecutors charged a 38-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man in connection with the robbery on Saturday, bringing the total number of suspects charged to four.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccau said the man was charged with theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy, and that his DNA was found inside the basket lift that was used to reach the museum’s window. The woman is accused of being an accomplice.
Beccau said both have denied their involvement in the robbery of priceless crown jewels in a daylight heist that has gripped France and stunned art lovers around the world, and both remain in custody while the investigation continues.
Two men, aged 34 and 39, both from north of Paris, were charged earlier this week with theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.
Beccau revealed on Sunday that two of the suspects, whom the French media have dubbed the “commando” team, have lengthy criminal records for theft.
The 39-year-old man had 15 convictions, including two for theft, while the 37-year-old had 11 previous convictions, 10 of them for theft, according to Beccau.
“This is not quite everyday delinquency… but it is a type of delinquency that we do not generally associate with the upper echelons of organised crime,” Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told franceinfo radio.
The 34-year-old, reportedly an Algerian national, was arrested as he was about to board a plane to Algeria at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, prosecutors said. His DNA was matched to traces found on a scooter used in the getaway.
Three others arrested in connection with the case have been released.
Adrien Sorrentino, the lawyer representing the accused woman, told reporters his client is “devastated” to have been accused of the crime.
“She does not understand how she is implicated in any of the elements she is accused of,” he said.
Read more: How Thieves Carried Out An Audacious Heist of ‘Priceless’ Napoleonic Jewels
The woman was in tears as she appeared in the dock on Saturday to confirm her address and hear the charges against her, the French daily newspaper Le Parisien reported.
There is no indication that any of the stolen items have been recovered.
“We are examining all the possibilities on the parallel market for selling this jewelry, which I hope will not happen anytime soon. — It could be used for money laundering, it could be used for trade, all leads are being explored,” Beccau told AP.
Beccuau, the prosecutor, has previously expressed anger over leaks from the investigation to the press, saying they risk imperilling the work of detectives.
An eight-minute heist
Investigators say the brazen theft took less than 8 minutes on the morning of October 19, during which the thieves escaped with 8 pieces from France’s Crown Jewels. Two of the four thieves entered the museum via the Seine-facing facade at around 9:30 a.m. local time, shortly after the museum’s opening. Using a cherry picker, they accessed the Apollo Gallery jewel room directly on the first floor, which is less than 300 yards from the famed Mona Lisa.
The stolen items include emerald- and sapphire-encrusted diadems, necklaces, and brooches once worn by the wives of Napoleon Bonaparte and other 19th-century royals. One piece—the Empress’s crown, fitted with over 1,000 jewels—was found outside the Museum. Other jewels included a tiara and necklace worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, dating to the early 19th century. Officials estimate the collection’s value at roughly $100 million.
Forensic investigators collect evidence at the Louvre. Sipa via Associated Press
Officials revealed that surveillance footage showed the thieves entering “calmly” and smashing display cases containing the jewels. France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati said there was “no violence” during the heist, which she described as “very professional.”
The heist has also placed President Emmanuel Macron and Louvre director Laurence des Cars under renewed pressure.
Macron referred to the incident as “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history,” and vowed to “recover the works” and bring the perpetrators “to justice.”
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin later acknowledged serious failures, saying that the fact a freight lift could be installed on a public street outside the Louvre without being detected “shows that our systems must be reassessed.” He added that the incident “projects a negative image of France” and confirmed that a full security review is underway.
Additional reporting by Rebecca Schneid
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