Reports said the number of artifacts stolen from the British Museum was “closer to 2,000”, and the total value of the missing items was believed to be “in the millions of pounds”.
The British Museum announced last week that items from its collection had been found “lost, stolen or damaged” and that an anonymous staff member had been fired.
The museum is taking legal action against this person and the police are investigating, but no arrests have been made.
The British Museum says more than 1,000 items have disappeared from its collection (John Walton/PA)
The museum did not specify the number of objects stolen or detail which elements were missing, limiting itself to saying that they were “small pieces” that included “gold jewelry, precious stones and semi-precious crystals dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century”. . «. commercial.”
The number of items stolen is now believed to be “in excess of 1,000” and “approaching 2,000”, and worth “millions of pounds”, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The museum previously said the artifacts have not been shown to the public recently and have been kept in storage mainly for research and scholarly work.
The newspaper said it seemed “increasingly likely” that the museum would never know exactly what was stolen due to “gaps in its inventory”.
An independent security review has been launched and the Metropolitan Police Economic Crime Command is also investigating the matter.
A museum source told The Telegraph management’s handling of the case was “careless and incompetent” and that evidence presented to them was ignored.
An archaeologist reportedly told the museum three years ago that items from his collection were for sale on eBay, with dealers offering a Roman piece, valued between £25,000 and £50,000, for just £40.
The independent review will be led by Sir Nigel Boardman, a former curator at the museum, and Lucy Dorsey, head of the British Transport Police, who will launch an “aggressive” program to recover stolen items.
The British Museum declined to comment while the police investigation is ongoing.
2023-08-22 19:24:58
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