British Museum theft: Here’s what we know about the stolen antiquities worth millions of pounds

The British Museum has reported the theft of nearly 2,000 antiquities. Police are currently probing the situation.

The British Museum, established in 1753 and opened to the public in 1759, is home to millions of valuable objects. It is a public collection dedicated to human history, art, and culture. It also has a permanent display of eight million works, the largest in the world. Moreover, the British Museum is the most-visited art museum worldwide.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

On Wednesday, Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, stated they immediately set up an investigation when they learned about the theft allegations in 2021.

ALSO READ |California mass shooting: At least five dead, several injured in bar

The stolen items from the British museum allegedly include gold, jewellery, gems and semi-precious stones that date from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD.

The former trustee, Sir Nigel Boardman, and the chief constable of the British Transport Police, Lucy D'Orsi, will conduct an autonomous review of the British Museum. They will make recommendations on future security arrangements. The museum officials said the probe will "kickstart a vigorous programme to recover the missing items."

The British Museum reported that the thousands of missing, stolen or damaged items are worth millions of pounds. They have not specified the number of stolen items or released any details, as they were small pieces. However, according to a new report, the British Museum might never know about the missing items due to the gaps in its inventory.

ALSO READ |UK-India trade deal negotiations in their “final, trickier” stage: Report

The stolen items were not on display, and the museum kept them in the storeroom belonging to one of the collections. They also used the antiquities for academic and research work.

The British Museum sacked a senior staff member last week. The Times of London reported his name is Peter Higgs, who had worked at the museum for more than 30 years, organising major exhibitions and producing books until being fired. His family informed the Telegraph that he was innocent and losing his high-profile position "devastated" him.

At least one item stolen from the British Museum, worth up to $63,800 (£50,000), was seen on sale on the e-commerce platform eBay for $51 (£40). Some of the missing items had been appearing on eBay since 2016, an antiquities expert told the Daily Telegraph.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE