France to charge Louvre heist suspects with theft, conspiracy

Two men arrested over the jewel heist at France's iconic Louvre museum this month will be charged with theft and criminal conspiracy, the Paris prosecutor said Wednesday. 

Dozens of detectives have been on the trail of four thieves who used a cherry-picker truck and cutting gear to break into a first-floor gallery at the world-renowned museum, then fled with jewellery estimated to be worth more than $102 million.

The suspects were to be brought before magistrates with a view to "charging them with organised theft, which carries a 15-year prison sentence", and criminal conspiracy, punishable by 10 years, prosecutor Laure Beccuau told a press conference, adding that the men had "partially admitted to the charges".

The jewels stolen on the morning of October 19 have "not yet been recovered", Beccuau said. 

"I want to maintain hope that they will be recovered," she added.

The two men, arrested in the Paris region, are suspected of entering the Louvre's Apollo Gallery to seize the jewels, while their accomplices remained outside, according to the prosecutor.

One is 34 years old, of Algerian nationality, living in France. He was identified thanks to DNA traces found on one of the scooters used to flee after the heist. 

The second suspect is 39 years old and was born and lived in the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. He was an unlicensed taxi driver. 

Both were known to the police for having committed thefts.

One suspect was arrested as he was about to board a plane for Algeria at the capital's Charles de Gaulle airport, with no return ticket. 

The second was apprehended shortly afterward near his home, and "there is no evidence to suggest that he was planning to go abroad", the prosecutor said.

Last week, Beccuau told local media that detectives were investigating "150 DNA samples, fingerprints and other traces".

She said public and private security cameras had allowed detectives to track the thieves -- some of whom wore balaclavas and high-visibility vests during the heist carried out in broad daylight -- "in Paris and in surrounding regions". 

Beccuau on Wednesday said while investigators were certain of the involvement of four perpetrators, they had not ruled out the possibility of "a broader level involving a backer or individuals who may have been intended recipients".

The thieves dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown that once belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, as they escaped. 

Recovered by investigators, it would be "delicate" to restore, Beccuau said at the press conference, citing the Louvre's director. 

The burglars made off with eight other items of jewellery.

Among them are an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his wife, Empress Marie-Louise, and a diadem that once belonged to the Empress Eugenie, which is dotted with nearly 2,000 diamonds. 

The brazen theft made headlines across the world and has inspired a new trend in Halloween costumes involving black balaclavas, tiaras and bright yellow vests.

It has also sparked a debate in France about the security of cultural institutions. 

Less than 24 hours after the high-profile break-in, a museum in eastern France reported the theft of gold and silver coins after finding a smashed display case.

The Louvre's director, Laurence des Cars, last week admitted that security cameras did not adequately cover the thieves' point of entry.

But she defended a multi-million-dollar plan to increase security at the museum.