The scandal surrounding thefts at the world-famous British Museum is growing. As the Times reported, citing data from the famed London institution, hundreds of items have gone missing since 2013. Among them are gold coins, silver chains and 540 ceramic pieces, the newspaper writes on Thursday. However, the artifacts are not part of any investigation. Looking at the recording period since 2013, the “Times” stressed that many more items were likely to be missing.
“There are suspicions that this is a possible case of kleptomania,” the paper quoted a police source as saying. According to this investigation, a suspected thief would have been looting the museum’s vaults for more than 20 years. The perpetrator could have abused the fact that the artifacts stored there were not or insufficiently catalogued.
Ex-employee under suspicion
The British Museum announced last week that several items had been stolen or damaged. This includes gold jewellery, jewelery made of semi-precious stones and glass. According to the information, some of the objects date from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD.
A former employee who was fired in connection with the incidents has come under suspicion and legal action has been taken against him. According to media reports, over a thousand items have been stolen over a period of several years. In addition, there would have been indications as early as 2021 that objects from the museum were being offered for sale on an online auction platform – which were, however, ignored.
Items not cataloged correctly
Many of the missing items had not been shown to the public, but were made available for investigation indefinitely, the police source told The Times. Since they were not cataloged properly, it was possible to steal them unnoticed at first. It is feared that the items have been sold online for a fraction of their value.
Museum director Hartwig Fischer emphasized on Wednesday that he had been informed of the suspected theft in 2021. At that time, all missing items were found. Investigations then provided more clarity in 2022, after which the police were called in. The museum initially declined to comment on the new report.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
