Paris prosecutors said on Sunday that two of the suspects in the Louvre jewel heist a decade ago had previously been convicted together in a theft case, as three alleged members of the team of four are now in custody.
Laure Beccuau said the DNA of a 37-year-old man charged Saturday was found in the basket lift used to reach the museum’s window. He was preliminarily charged with theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.
His criminal record included 11 previous convictions, 10 of which were for theft, Beccuau said.
The criminal record of a 39-year-old suspect who faced similar preliminary charges Wednesday lists 15 convictions, including two for theft, Beccuau said.
“What’s interesting about these data, 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.
Another 34-year-old man suspected of being part of the “commando team,” as French media have dubbed the thieves, was also charged this week.
A 38-year-old woman who was handed preliminary “complicity” charges on Saturday is the 37-year-old suspect’s longtime partner, Beccuau said, noting some “proximity” between all the suspects.
All four are in custody.
Beccuau declined to answer a question about whether investigators are getting closer to finding the jewelry.
“We are investigating all avenues on the parallel market to sell this jewelry, which I hope will not happen anytime soon. … It could be used for money laundering, it could be used for trafficking, all leads are being investigated,” she said.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said in an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien on Saturday that he remains “optimistic” about the investigation.
“There are four perpetrators, at least one of whom is still at large, plus possibly the person or persons who ordered the crime and the jewelry,” Nuñez said.
“I have a lot of confidence in the work of the police, so I am optimistic. But my optimism does not extend to the idea that the loot will be recovered quickly,” he added.
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