According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on August 24, the European Criminal Police Organization recently released a report stating that European art thieves are becoming more violent. The trend of thefts at European museums is shifting towards “violent and destructive methods.” The report specifically mentioned that due to the strong demand in the art market, there has been an increase in thefts of ancient Chinese porcelain.
The report states that museum thefts are generally considered organized property crimes that involve non-violent methods. However, in recent cases involving member countries of the European Criminal Police Organization, art thieves have begun to resort to more violent tactics, including waving guns, attacking staff, and using hammers, axes, or even explosives to damage buildings and exhibition displays. This indicates that there may be new criminal networks involved.
The European Criminal Police Organization states that traditional art theft and smuggling networks use methods of "deception and concealment," typically operated by a skilled leader. However, many recent thefts were carried out by temporary groups, who recruited members locally through social media and instant messaging software, with no prior contact between the members.
August 20th, Paris, France. New security barriers and protective fences have been installed outside the Louvre Museum. IC photo
The report also indicates that over the past two years, art theft thieves have shifted their focus to precious metals and jewelry. This is because the value of such items continues to rise, and precious metals can be easily melted, while the gems embedded in jewelry can be removed. This reduces the difficulty for criminal gangs in selling stolen goods, and makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track them down.
For example, in January last year, thieves used explosives to steal a 2,500-year-old Dacian gold helmet and three ancient gold bracelets from a museum in the Netherlands. Some of the artifacts have been recovered and returned to Romania, but one of the bracelets remains missing.
The European Criminal Police Organization also noted that Chinese porcelain has become a new target for thieves, with an increase in cases of theft of ancient Chinese porcelain. The report states: "Chinese porcelain is an easy target for art smuggling syndicates to profit from, and due to high demand, it is easily sold on the art market."
The report mentions that the Princess Court Ceramic Museum in Leyde, Netherlands, was stolen in 2023, and several Chinese porcelain items were taken.
According to analysis by the European Criminal Police Organization, low-level thieves may have been recruited randomly, or it is possible that some criminal networks active in other areas may have realized that museum theft offers a low-risk, high-profit 'potential'.
In recent years, the frequency of theft incidents in European museums has increased, highlighting security shortcomings among European museums. For example, the theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France last October shocked the world. Four masked individuals disguised as construction workers sneaked into the museum through an exterior balcony and stole eight pieces of jewelry worth approximately 88 million euros within a few minutes, then fled without being caught. The suspects are still at large to this day.
