The British Museum has fired one of its own over allegations the employee had stolen multiple historic artifacts including centuries-old gems, gold and glass.
“The Trustees of the British Museum were extremely concerned when we learnt earlier this year that items of the collection had been stolen,” George Osborne, chair of The British Museum, said in a press release Wednesday. In response to the alleged theft, the museum called in the authorities, imposed further security measures and set up an independent review into the incident, Osborne added.
The British Museum has fired an employee for suspected theft of ancient treasures. https://t.co/Fs0rqSmmzg
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 17, 2023
Most of the items in question were small pieces kept in a storeroom and included gold jewelry, semi-precious stones and glass dating as far back as the 15th century B.C., according to the release. None of the stolen artifacts had been on display recently and were kept mainly for research and scholarly use.
Though the suspect behind the alleged theft was not identified, the British Museum revealed the employee had been dismissed and that legal action would be taken against the individual. The Economic Crime Command of the Metropolitan Police is leading the probe into the incident. (RELATED: Investigators Seize $69 Million Worth Of Stolen Artifacts From Museum Trustee)
“Our priority is now threefold: first, to recover the stolen items; second, to find out what, if anything, could have been done to stop this; and third, to do whatever it takes, with investment in security and collection records, to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Osborne said in the press release, adding that the experience will be used to “build a stronger Museum.”
Though it will likely take some time, trustee Sir Nigel Boardman called the recovery of the artifacts “an absolute priority — however long it takes – and we are grateful for the help we have already received.”