Louvre heist: Two more suspects charged

Paris police have so far arrested seven people in connection with last month's theft of crown jewels; three of them have been released.

Prosecutors in France on Saturday handed two new suspects preliminary charges for their alleged involvement in the heist of crown jewels at the Louvre museum in Paris.

Police launched a nationwide search for suspects following the theft of Napoleonic-era regalia from the iconic tourist site on October 19.

What do we know about the new charges?

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said a 37-year-old male suspect was charged with theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy. The other, a 38-year-old woman, is accused of being an accomplice. They were both placed in pre-trial detention.

Five other people have been arrested in connection with the case, including one tied by DNA.

Three have been released without charges, Beccuau said.

Two earlier suspects, men aged 34 and 39 from a town north of Paris, were charged this week with theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.

They are alleged to have been part of the four-member gang responsible for the break-in.

Beccuau said both gave "minimalist" statements and "partially admitted" their involvement.

One was stopped at Charles-de-Gaulle Airport with a one-way ticket to Algeria. His DNA matched that found on a scooter used in the getaway.

How the Louvre heist unfolded

The heist, on October 19, made international headlines as the masked perpetrators parked a truck equipped with a lifting platform next to the museum. 

Two of the perpetrators waited on scooters in the street outside as the other two used the lifting platform to reach a first-floor balcony and enter the museum.

The thieves fled on the scooters with eight precious pieces of jewelry belonging to former queens and empresses — including tiaras, necklaces, earrings and brooches encrusted with gemstones.

Edited by Sean Sinico