Skip to content
Bbc — british museum — Criminality — Ebay — gemstones — george osborne — Great Britain — Greece — Jewelry — London — Museums — Panorama — Police — Review — Rom — Theft

What the police know about the theft at the British Museum

What the police know about the theft at the British Museum

,   and  ASMedia
2 min read
What the police know about the theft at the British Museum
What the police know about the theft at the British Museum

Unraveling the British Museum Heist Saga

The Big Unveil

Tireless investigations have unearthed a whopping 2000 artifacts, predominantly uncatalogued treasures from Ancient Greece and Rome, that have either been swiped or damaged from the renowned British Museum. Out of this staggering find, only a fraction – 351 pieces – have been recovered so far.

The Cat and Mouse Game

The restorative endeavor hasn't been a walk in the park – a former employee, now out in the cold, is the prime suspect behind these infractions. George Osborne, Chairperson of the Museum's Board of Trustees, shared this nugget of info with the BBC. "Our mission is to uncover the genuine motive behind the accused individual," Osborne expressed, but disappointingly, the culprit remains elusive, neither commenting nor cooperating.

eBay's Unwitting Role

The insights from the investigation haven't been widely disseminated thanks to the ongoing police probe. However, the BBC has shared a tantalizing piece of information – the accused is believed to have raked in approximately 100,000 pounds (around 116,000 euros) from the sale of pilfered items!

An antiques dealer who stumbled upon museum artifacts on eBay and reported the matter to the museum management roughly two years ago claims these items were put up for an average price of 50 pounds, roughly equivalent to 58 euros.

The Untimely Resignation

The theft scandal became public knowledge in August, prompting Hartwig Fischer, the museum director who had been helming the British Museum since 2016, to tender his resignation with immediate effect.

A Brief Look at the Enrichment Data

While the investigation into the 2023 thefts remain in their element, let's take a peek at some fascinating, yet unconnected, details:

  1. Suspect: The primary suspect behind these thefts is none other than Peter Higgs, a veteran curator who served the museum's Greece and Rome department for a side-splitting 30 years. Prior to his ousting in July 2023, Higgs was slapped with a lawsuit from the museum for his likely involvement in the thefts[1][3][5].
  2. Investigation Status: Despite the arrest of a 50-year-old man suspected of sabotaging the museum's IT systems, this event is not directly linked to the 2023 thefts. This individual was busted on suspicions of burglary and criminal damage but was released on bail pending further inquiries[1][2][5].
  3. Stolen Items: The stolen bounty encompasses gold jewelry, semi-precious gems, and antiquities dating back to the 15th century BC. Several of these prized pieces were later discovered for sale on eBay, yet the precise number of returned items remains unclear[3][5].
  4. Value of Stolen Items: The actual monetary value of the pilfered items has not been publicly disclosed. Nevertheless, these items are part of the museum's prestigious collection, home to some of the world's most cherished treasures[3][5].
  5. Museum's Response: Following the theft scandals, museum director Hartwig Fischer bowed out in August 2023. Nicholas Cullinan, from the National Portrait Gallery, replaced him, assuming the museum's helm. The museum has since been actively pursuing the recovery of the stolen items and serving legal papers against Peter Higgs[2][3][5].

In conclusion, the thrilling saga of the British Museum's mysterious artifact thefts persist, with authorities working relentlessly to uncover the exact truth and track down the stolen riches.

Latest