Woman charged over Louvre jewellery heist

A woman has been charged over a theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris last month, French media report.

The 38-year-old, who has not been named, was charged with complicity in organised theft and criminal conspiracy with a view to committing a crime. She appeared before a magistrate, who ruled that she should stay in custody.

The woman was arrested earlier this week with four others. Two men who had previously been arrested were already charged with theft and criminal conspiracy after officials said they had “partially recognised” their involvement in the heist.

Jewels worth €88m (£76m; $102m) were taken from the world’s most-visited museum on 19 October.

Four men carried out the lightning-quick daylight theft.

Two of the alleged thieves – who had been arrested earlier – later admitted their involvement, while the fourth person has not yet been caught.

Appearing before the magistrate on Saturday, the woman was in tears as she confirmed that she lived in Paris’s northern suburb of La Courneuve, a journalist working for the AFP news agency reported.

She was one of the five people arrested earlier this week in and around the French capital. One of those held has been released without charge.

However, one of the five is thought to have taken part in the heist.

On the day of the heist, the robbers arrived at 09:30 (07:30 GMT), just after the museum opened to visitors, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said last week.

The suspects arrived with a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony close to the River Seine. The men used a disc cutter to crack open display cases housing the jewellery.

Prosecutors said the thieves were inside for four minutes and made their escape on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38, before switching to cars.

The jewels have not been found.

Since the incident, security measures have been tightened around France’s cultural institutions.

The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist.