FBI helps investigate missing British Museum items

The FBI is investigating the sale of hundreds of items believed to have been stolen from the British Museum.

The museum announced last year that more than 1,500 items were missing, stolen or damaged – many of which were allegedly listed for sale on eBay, using PayPal to enable payment.

US domestic intelligence services reportedly contributed to the return of 268 items purchased by a collector in Washington.

According to a BBC report, the FBI contacted a buyer to ask about two pieces he had bought on eBay, telling him the bureau was helping the Metropolitan Police investigate missing or stolen items from the museum.

The buyer said he no longer had the items and did not believe they had been found by authorities.

The British Museum said 626 of the missing items had been found while more than 100 had been identified but had not yet been returned.

The British Museum through the years – in pictures

Many of the missing items are believed to have not been cataloged and the museum is looking for ways to prove ownership.

The museum believes senior curator Dr Peter Higgs, who was fired for serious misconduct in July last year, took them.

Lawyers for the institution, which brought civil action against Dr Higgs, told the High Court in London in March that there was “compelling evidence” that the former curator “abused his position as trust” between at least July 2009 and January 2018, which he denies.

He was ordered to inventory or return all stolen items within four weeks.

Barrister Daniel Burgess claimed Dr Higgs, who was investigated by the Metropolitan Police but has not been charged with an offence, stole items including gems, jewelry , gold, silver and items “intentionally” damaged by removing the gold and silver.

The museum claims Dr Higgs, who worked in the Greece and Rome department for more than 30 years before being sacked, made around £100,000 from the sale of the items.

Dr. Higgs did not attend the hearing due to health concerns. The police investigation continues.

What is missing?

The museum does not share full details of lost and damaged items on the advice of recovery specialists.

“What we can share is the type of material we believe was stolen,” the museum said on its website.

“The vast majority of items come from the department of Greece and Rome and fall mainly into two categories: precious stones and jewelry. »

Types of missing objects include gemstones, cameos, or intaglios, which are often set in rings or other settings, or left unmounted and unfinished.

They date back throughout antiquity, particularly the late Bronze Age, from the 15th to 11th centuries BCE, as well as the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

“Although the majority of objects are gems and jewelry, our investigations suggest that there are also a number of other types of materials among the missing objects, such as small sculptural fragments and Greek pottery,” the museum said.

Updated: May 27, 2024, 8:03 a.m.