Paris prosecutor says two Louvre heist suspects were convicted together in a 2015 theft case.
Three suspects and one accomplice are now in custody as police track stolen jewellery.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez says at least one perpetrator remains at large.
Two suspects linked to the recent Louvre Museum jewels heist had been convicted in a theft case together a decade ago, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Sunday, as three alleged members of the four-person team remain in custody.
According to Associated Press, Beccuau said that the DNA of a 37-year-old man charged on Saturday (November 1, 2025) was discovered inside the basket lift used to reach the museum’s window. He faces preliminary charges of theft by an organised gang and criminal conspiracy. His criminal record lists 11 previous convictions, 10 of them for theft, the prosecutor noted.
A 39-year-old suspect, charged earlier on Wednesday with the same offences, has 15 prior convictions, including two for theft. “What’s interesting about these records, when we compare them, is that … we see that they were both involved in the same theft case, for which they were convicted in Paris in 2015,” Beccuau said.
A third suspect, a 34-year-old man believed to be part of what French media have called the “commando” team, was also charged this week.
Beccuau added that a 38-year-old woman, charged on Saturday with “complicity”, is the longtime partner of the 37-year-old man, noting a degree of “closeness” among all the accused. All four suspects are currently being held in custody, reported Associated Press.
The prosecutor declined to comment on whether investigators are any closer to locating the stolen jewels. “We are examining all the possibilities on the parallel market for selling this jewellery, which I hope will not happen anytime soon. … It could be used for money laundering, it could be used for trade, all leads are being explored,” she said.
According to Associated Press, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told Le Parisien in an interview on Saturday that he remains “optimistic” about the investigation.
“There are four perpetrators, at least one of whom remains at large, plus possibly the one or those who ordered the crime and the jewellery,” Mr Nuñez said. “I have great confidence in the work of the police, so I’m optimistic. But my optimism doesn’t extend to thinking that the loot will be recovered quickly,” he added.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
