Two more people have been charged over a theft at the Louvre Museum last month, the Paris prosecutor's office said. A 38-year-old woman has been charged with complicity in organised theft and criminal conspiracy with a view to committing a crime. Separately, a man, aged 37, was charged with theft and criminal conspiracy. Both denied any involvement.
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. The French public is relieved to see quick progress in the investigation - but many see the whole episode as a humiliating embarrassment for the country.
On Saturday, the woman who has been charged was in tears as she appeared before a magistrate and confirmed that she lived in Paris's northern suburb of La Courneuve, a journalist working for the AFP news agency reported. The magistrate later ruled that the woman - who has not been named - must stay in custody. The 37-year-old man - whose identity has also not been revealed - was also ordered to stay in pre-trial detention. He is known to the French justice system for past robberies.
In the meantime, the suspect can remain in detention if a judge believes he or she is a potential danger to the public, or might abscond, or might collude with others to arrange evidence. On the day of the heist, the robbers arrived just after the museum opened to visitors and used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to restricted areas of the museum.
The incident has raised serious concerns about security measures at the Louvre, leading to calls for improved protocols and tighter security around France's cultural institutions. Since the incident, security measures have been tightened around France's cultural institutions, and the Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist.
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. The French public is relieved to see quick progress in the investigation - but many see the whole episode as a humiliating embarrassment for the country.
On Saturday, the woman who has been charged was in tears as she appeared before a magistrate and confirmed that she lived in Paris's northern suburb of La Courneuve, a journalist working for the AFP news agency reported. The magistrate later ruled that the woman - who has not been named - must stay in custody. The 37-year-old man - whose identity has also not been revealed - was also ordered to stay in pre-trial detention. He is known to the French justice system for past robberies.
In the meantime, the suspect can remain in detention if a judge believes he or she is a potential danger to the public, or might abscond, or might collude with others to arrange evidence. On the day of the heist, the robbers arrived just after the museum opened to visitors and used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to restricted areas of the museum.
The incident has raised serious concerns about security measures at the Louvre, leading to calls for improved protocols and tighter security around France's cultural institutions. Since the incident, security measures have been tightened around France's cultural institutions, and the Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist.
