Fourteen Convicted of Involvement in UK Museum Theft
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In one of the largest museum raids in recent years, fourteen members of an organised crime group involved in stealing artefacts worth up to £57 million from museums and an auction house have finally been convicted. Back in 2012, on multiple occasions, an array of different artefacts were stolen from museums across the country over a period of about 6 months.
While it is believed that the exhibits stolen from Durham and Cambridge were worth approximately £17m, detectives believe that those involved could have sold them on to the ‘booming’ Chinese auction market for up to £57m. This led Lead investigator Det Supt Adrian Green, of Durham Police, to comment:
“If you think the Hatton Gardens break-in was big, this will blow that out of the water”
In early April 2012, a jade bowl and a porcelain figurine (worth up to £2m) were taken from Durham museum after thieves smashed a hole in the wall. As a result, six people were sentenced for theft. A mere 8 days later, 18 jade artefacts were stolen in a raid at Cambridge University’s Fitzwilliam Museum, believed to be worth up to £15m. Five months later, three men were jailed.
Despite many different people having being jailed for the thefts, police said: “It soon became apparent an international organised crime group was planning and commissioning the jobs”. Therefore, over a period of time after this, 40 raids were made in connection with the crimes and a number of defendants arrested.
A number of men have pleaded guilty to their role in the thefts, and the gang members are expected to be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 4 and 5 April.