(MENAFN) The jewellery theft at Paris’s Louvre last month was executed by small-time criminals rather than professional organised crime groups, according to reports.

“This is not quite everyday delinquency... but it is a type of delinquency that we do not generally associate with the upper echelons of organised crime,” stated the prosecutor overseeing the case. Authorities have so far charged four suspects, described as “clearly local people” living in Seine-Saint-Denis, a low-income suburb north of Paris.

The thieves made off with jewels valued at €88m (£76m; $102m) from the museum on 19 October. The four arrested individuals – three men and a woman – “all live more or less in Seine-Saint-Denis,” the prosecutor added. Two of the men had previous theft convictions.

On Saturday, a 38-year-old woman was charged with complicity in organised theft and criminal conspiracy, while a 37-year-old man was charged with theft and criminal conspiracy. Both denied involvement. The prosecutor noted that the two were in a relationship and had children together. Two other men previously arrested were charged after they “partially recognised” their involvement. One suspect remains at large, and three others recently detained have been released without charge.

The robbery occurred at 09:30 local time, shortly after the museum opened. The suspects used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to reach the Galerie d'Apollon via a balcony near the River Seine and employed a disc cutter to open display cases. Prosecutors said the thieves were inside for just four minutes, escaping on scooters before switching to cars. A crown was dropped during the escape, but the remaining seven jewels are still missing, with authorities hopeful for their recovery.

Following the incident, French cultural institutions have strengthened security measures, and the Louvre has moved its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France.

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