The French media has also speculated that the thieves were amateurs after it emerged that a number of mistakes had been made. Among other things, one of the most valuable of the stolen jewels – Empress Eugénie's crown, made of gold, emeralds and diamonds – was dropped during the escape. They also left behind tools and other objects with possible DNA traces.
Four people have been charged so far, three men and one woman. According to prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the defendants are residents of Seine-Saint-Denis north of Paris, a department described as one of the country's poorest.
Two of the defendants are said to be a couple with children together. They deny any involvement in the theft and the woman burst into tears as she appeared in court in Paris over the weekend, The Guardian reports .
Three more people arrested for involvement in the coup have been released.
The burglary, which occurred on October 19, has shaken France. Four masked robbers broke into the world-famous museum in Paris and stole a range of jewelry and jewels worth the equivalent of almost a billion kronor.
The robbery was carried out using a step car and lasted only seven minutes. The jewels have not yet been recovered.
