A 38-year-old woman has been formally charged in connection with last month’s daring €88 million jewellery theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Authorities allege she played a role in an organised criminal conspiracy that saw priceless artefacts stolen in a lightning-fast operation.
According to investigators, the woman was arrested earlier this week along with four others during coordinated raids in and around the French capital. She appeared before a magistrate who ordered that she remain in custody pending further investigation. Although she has not been named publicly, the woman was reportedly in tears during her court appearance, confirming that she lived in the northern suburb of La Courneuve.
The high-profile theft took place on the morning of 19 October when four men executed a well-planned heist at the museum’s Galerie d’Apollon. Using a stolen vehicle equipped with a mechanical lift, the suspects gained access to the gallery via a balcony overlooking the River Seine. Once inside, they used a disc cutter to break open the display cases and grab valuable jewels on exhibit. The entire operation lasted only four minutes.
Security footage and witness accounts suggest the robbers entered the museum at 9:30 a.m. and escaped by 9:38 a.m. on two waiting scooters before switching to cars. Their quick and calculated actions left authorities scrambling to trace their movements across the city.
Two of the men arrested earlier have already admitted to partial involvement in the theft, according to prosecutors. Another suspect remains at large, while one of those detained this week was released without charge. The woman now in custody is accused of providing logistical support and being complicit in the planning and execution of the crime.
Despite several arrests, the stolen jewels—estimated to be worth over €88 million ($102 million)—have not yet been recovered. The theft has prompted heightened security at French cultural institutions, with the Louvre transferring some of its most valuable pieces to the Bank of France for safekeeping.
The investigation continues as authorities work to locate the missing jewels and identify any remaining members of the criminal network behind one of the most audacious museum heists in recent French history.
