Hunt for priceless gems stolen in Netflix-style heist at British Museum: Police probe theft of treasures spanning back 3,400 years in major security blunder as suspicion centres on sacked worker who has not been arrested

Police today are on the hunt for the priceless treasures looted in a Netflix-style robbery of the British Museum amid questions about why no arrests have been made despite a member of staff at the world-famous museum having already been sacked.

The search for stolen jewels, gems and precious metals spanning 3,400 years of history is underway amid claims that detectives have “any idea” of their whereabouts.

The British Museum and the Met Police have not said what was stolen. Among high-profile recent thefts is a £750,000 Cartier diamond ring that has been missing since 2011.

Some experts fear that the stolen items, including gems, glass and metal dating back to the 15th century BC, could already be in the hands of private collectors or even melted down by gangs for “quick money.”

The incident has echoes of the French-language Netflix series Lupine, which follows a man inspired by the adventures of master thief Arsène Lupine, a character created by novelist Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s.

The suspicion is aimed at a staff member, who has since been fired – but the employee is neither detained nor questioned, MailOnline can reveal. A source told The Telegraph there was no suggestion that the thefts were ideologically or politically motivated to repatriate artifacts that British Museum critics claim were stolen by the British Empire.

A police spokesperson said: ‘We are working with the British Museum. An investigation is currently underway – there has been no arrest and the investigation is ongoing.”

Christopher Marinello, a lawyer and founder of Art Recovery International, said, “From a historical perspective, these artifacts are priceless.”

But Mr Marinello added that they could be long gone. He told the Daily Telegraph: ‘That’s the great shame of these criminals, they don’t think of this priceless quality. They think of quick money.

‘They will melt down gold as soon as possible and re-sharpen the gems. Look at the statue of Henry Moore that was melted down for the value of the raw metal.

‘Art is not considered – criminals are artless in that sense. That is the great tragedy of these incidents.’

Police and the British Museum have not released any photos or descriptions of the missing items. It is unknown how many artifacts were taken, but they are believed to include items dating from 1500 BC to the 19th century.

Most of the items were small pieces, including gold jewelry and semi-precious stones.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Metropolitan Police’s Economic Crime Command is in charge of the criminal investigation. An insider suggested few details have been released because they “may have an idea of ​​their whereabouts and believe they can be recovered.”

George Osborne, president of the London Museum – one of the largest in the world – said the theft was a sad day for all who loved the institution.

The museum owners announced an independent review of security and promised to recover the irreplaceable items “however long it takes.”

None of the pieces had been put on public display recently as they were kept mainly for research purposes, and many in a storage room.

It was reported last night that the items were believed to have been taken over a ‘long period’.

Some items date back to the 15th century BC – 1500 BC to 1401 BC – the period when Egypt conquered Nubia and the Levant and the Battle of the Ten Kings is said to have taken place in Punjab.

Former museum administrator Sir Nigel Boardman promised that while the restoration process will be a “painstaking job”, it will become an “absolute priority”.

He said: ‘The British Museum has been the victim of theft and we are absolutely determined to use our assessment to get to the bottom of what happened and to ensure lessons are learned.

“We are working with the Metropolitan Police in the interests of criminal justice to support any investigations.

In addition, the recovery program will ensure that the stolen items are returned to the museum. It will be a difficult job, involving internal and external experts, but this is an absolute priority – however long it takes – and we are grateful for the help we have already received.”

Sir Nigel and Lucy D’Orsi, Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, will lead the independent review of the museum.

They will make recommendations regarding future security arrangements and will also initiate and support a vigorous operation to recover the items.

Mr Osborne said: ‘The trustees of the British Museum were very concerned when we learned earlier this year that items from the collection had been stolen.

“We called in the police, imposed emergency measures to increase security, conducted an independent investigation into what happened and lessons we could learn, and used all disciplinary powers at our disposal to bring the person we believe was responsible. to deal with.

“Our priority now is threefold: first, recovering the stolen items; second, to find out what, if any, could have been done to stop it; and third, do whatever it takes, with investments in security and collections, to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

He added: “This incident only reinforces the case for the reimagination of the museum we have begun. It’s a sad day for all who love our British Museum, but we are determined to right the wrongs and use the experience to build a stronger museum.’

Museum director Hartwig Fischer: ‘This is a highly unusual incident. We take the protection of all items in our care very seriously.

“The museum apologizes for what happened, but we have now put an end to it – and we are determined to put things right. We’ve already tightened up our security arrangements and we’re working with outside experts to provide a definitive account of what’s missing, damaged and stolen.

‘This allows us to commit ourselves to recovering objects.’ The Met police said last night that no arrests had been made.