Museum heists have turned more violent, with thieves hired on social media, Europol says — KSL

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Museum heists have turned more violent, with thieves hired on social media, Europol says — KSL | AIPROPX

BRUSSELS \u2014 Art thieves in Europe are committing more violent robberies focusing on gold \u200band jewels, and specialist gangs have been replaced by ad-hoc opportunists recruited through social media, Europol said on Monday.The heist at the Louvre Museum \u200cin Paris in October last year was a prime example of these shifts, Europol said, as the \u2060thieves threatened guards and visitors, and stole \u20ac88 \u200bmillion worth of jewels such as \u2060Empress Eugenie's tiara.Over the last two years, art thieves have shifted their attention to \u200cprecious metals, jewels and \u200ccultural artifacts that offer greater profits, the EU's law enforcement agency \u2060said in a report.The price of gold has \u2060surged 85% over the past two years, as investors and central banks turn to the metal as a safe haven. The London Bullion Market Association, which oversees London's over-the-counter gold trading hub, has warned that "as gold prices rise to historic levels, illicit flows and market distortions are also increasing."Europol said: "offenders are \u200cbreaching premises and display cases using tools such as \u200bsledgehammers, axes, crowbars and, in some instances, explosives."Where traditional gangs used "deception and stealth", had a central leader and niche expertise, recent thefts were carried out by a decentralized ad-hoc group of profit-seeking opportunists, recruited through social media on a "crime-as-a-service" basis, it said.Europol added thieves were increasingly targeting gold items from nuggets and coins to jewels."Precious metals can be easily melted down, leaving no trace for \u200blaw enforcement, and facilitating illicit sales during the fencing process. Precious stones in jewelery, on \u200cthe other hand, \u200ccan be \u2060easily removed and sold further," the report said.In January last year, thieves used explosives to steal a 2,500-year-old Dacian golden helmet and three ancient gold bracelets from a museum in the Netherlands. The artifacts were later recovered and returned to Romania, although \u200cone bracelet is still missing.Europol \u200balso noted an increase in thefts of ancient \u200cChinese porcelain artifacts such as \u2060Ming Dynasty vases \u200bdue to high demand.Contributing: Polina Devitt