Museum heists have turned more violent, with thieves hired on social media, Europol says
- On Monday, Europol warned that art thieves in Europe are increasingly using violence to target gold and jewels, with traditional specialist gangs replaced by ad-hoc groups recruited through social media.
- Criminals now breach premises using sledgehammers, axes, and explosives, abandoning traditional "deception and stealth" for a decentralized "crime-as-a-service" model relying on profit-seeking opportunists.
- The October heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris saw thieves threaten guards to steal €88 million in jewels, including Empress Eugenie's tiara; a similar January robbery in the Netherlands targeted a Dacian golden helmet.
- Gold prices surged 85% over the past two years as investors and central banks seek safe-haven assets, prompting London Bullion Market Association officials to warn that illicit flows and market distortions are increasing.
- Precious metals can be easily melted down, leaving no trace for law enforcement, while precious stones in jewelry are removed and sold, facilitating illicit sales during the fencing process.
45 Articles
45 Articles
Art thieves in Europe are increasingly resorting to violence and using weapons, assemblings, barrages or even explosives to steal valuables from museums. Europol warns that specialized gangs are increasingly being replaced by ad hoc groups of criminals recruited through social networks.
According to Europol, art thieves in Europe are increasingly committing violent robbery. According to the European police authority, specialised gangs are increasingly being replaced by groups of casual thieves recruited via social media.
Europol Warns of Increasingly Violent Museum Thefts
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) today issued a so-called spotlight report revealing concerning trends in museum crimes across the continent. The report, whose contents are summarized at intelligence and regulatory tracking platform Insight EU Monitoring, comes on the heels of last October’s high-profile broad-daylight jewel theft at the Louvre in Paris as well as a spate […]
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