Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Two More Charged in €88 Million Louvre Heist as France Orders Security Overhaul

Investigators say the crown jewels remain missing, likely to surface only on illicit channels.

Overview

  • Paris prosecutors filed preliminary charges against a 37-year-old man for organized theft and conspiracy and accused a 38-year-old woman of complicity, with both ordered to pretrial detention.
  • The total number of people formally charged rises to four, after earlier charges against two men aged 34 and 39 who, prosecutors said, partially admitted involvement.
  • Three of the five people seized in a midweek sweep were released without charges, authorities said.
  • Forensic leads, including DNA on a scooter used in the getaway and on a display case, helped identify suspects, and one man was arrested at Charles-de-Gaulle airport as he tried to fly to Algeria.
  • Following a scathing inspection that cited chronic security failings, Culture Minister Rachida Dati directed the Louvre to install anti-intrusion and anti-ram equipment, modernize systems, and establish a high-level security directorate before year-end.