George Osborne, the director of the British Museum, announced on Saturday that nearly 2,000 priceless artifacts, including gold jewelry and precious gemstones, have been stolen from the museum over the past few years.
This unprecedented heist has sparked a flurry of efforts to recover the stolen treasures, according to a report by Reuters.
The British Museum, a renowned attraction in London, boasts a collection that includes the Rosetta Stone, an ancient Egyptian relic inscribed with hieroglyphics and other historical texts. George Osborne expressed deep concern over the thefts, revealing that ongoing initiatives are in place to reclaim the stolen artifacts.
The incident led to the dismissal of an employee who reportedly pilfered items ranging from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD.
The museum’s curator, Hartwig Fischer, had earlier indicated his intention to step down from his position due to the failure in safeguarding items from the collection.
Osborne candidly acknowledged that not all museum items had been properly cataloged or registered, a situation not uncommon among large institutions with collections spanning centuries.
He stressed that a “criminal” investigation is underway to determine the extent of the theft. Osborne noted that around 2,000 pieces of valuable jewelry are believed to be missing, but cautioned that this number is highly provisional, and we are actively searching.
In a related context, Osborne stated they have already begun the process of recovering some of the stolen items, refraining from providing further details about the recovered items or the methods used.
He asserted that intentional cover-ups were unlikely, citing the museum’s previous dismissal of warnings in 2021 about the potential for thefts.
Osborne acknowledged that the thefts have undeniably tarnished the museum’s reputation, which prides itself on being a reliable guardian of priceless artifacts from diverse cultures around the world. He offered an apology on behalf of the museum, recognizing the gravity of the situation.
