There has recently been a significant incident of a valuable collection going missing at the British Museum in London, which has garnered widespread attention. According to an independent review report, some precious gold jewelry, semi-precious stones, and glass items have been reported missing, leading to the dismissal of a staff member. The Economic Crime Command of the Metropolitan Police is currently investigating the matter.
Hartwig Fischer, the Director of the British Museum, has apologized to the public for what has occurred and stated that they have implemented a series of measures to enhance security. They have also collaborated with external experts to create a comprehensive inventory detailing the missing, damaged, and stolen items, in order to fully focus on recovering the artifacts. These missing items range in age from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD and are important small objects primarily used for research and scholarly work, not currently on public display.
The Board of Trustees of the British Museum is deeply concerned about this incident and has taken decisive action by working closely with the museum's team. They have reported the incident to the police, increased security measures, and established an independent review panel to investigate the causes of the event and learn from it. Disciplinary actions have also been taken against those deemed responsible. Their top priority now is the recovery of the stolen items and preventing similar incidents from happening again. The Board has also pledged to invest in security and collection of records to ensure such events do not recur.
To strengthen the investigation into this incident and prevent the recurrence of thefts, the museum has initiated a review led by former trustee Sir Nigel Bodman and Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi of the British Transport Police. They have put forward recommendations regarding future security arrangements and launched an "active plan" to recover the missing items. Sir Nigel stated that this will be a meticulous process involving collaboration with internal and external experts, and they will spare no effort, regardless of the time required, to ensure the return of the stolen items to the museum.
According to the UK Press Association, these missing items have been lost over a considerable period leading up to 2023. The Metropolitan Police stated that they are currently conducting an investigation and have made no arrests. Therefore, they are unable to provide further information at this time.
The British Museum has experienced cases of missing items in the past, including the loss of coins and medals in the 1970s and the theft of several Roman coins during a break-in operation in 1993. In 2002, the museum conducted a security review following the theft of a Greek statue with a history of 2,500 years. At the time, it was revealed that the Greek sculpture gallery open to the public did not have permanent protection when the statue was stolen. Two years later, a batch of gemstones originating from China also went missing. In 2017, the museum disclosed the loss of a £750,000 Cartier ring diamond reported missing in 2011.
This incident has made the British Museum place even greater emphasis on security measures. They are determined to rectify the mistakes made and use this as an opportunity to build a stronger institution. For those who deeply cherish the British Museum, it is indeed a sad day, but they believe that through their efforts, they will be able to recover the missing items and ensure that such incidents do not occur again in the future.