The British Museum fires staff member suspected of looting jewels and reviews security practices.
The British museum claimed it had fired a worker suspected of stealing the ancient objects from a storeroom. Police are looking into it. (Photo: Unsplash)
According to the article posted by CNN, a number of items from the British Museum’s collection were discovered to be “missing, stolen, or damaged,” the museum said in a statement on Wednesday. As a result, one employee was fired, and the Metropolitan Police opened an investigation.
“After discovering missing, stolen, or damaged items from the collection, the British Museum launched an independent review of security. The Museum has fired a staff member and will now pursue legal action against the person, according to the museum. The Metropolitan Police’s Economic Crime Command is also looking into the situation.
“We have collaborated with the British Museum. There is no arrest at this time, and inquiries are ongoing, according to the Metropolitan Police, who spoke to CNN. “We will not be providing any further information at this time,” it continued.
READ ALSO: At 1162 Allen Genoa Road, A Fatal Shooting Suspect Was Detained And Charged
The majority of the objects were “small pieces kept in a storeroom” and were part of a collection at the museum.
The museum stated that the items ranged in age from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD and included gold jewelry as well as gems made of semi-precious stones and glass. The museum added that none of the objects had recently been on display and that they were mostly kept for scholarly and research purposes.
Director of the British Museum Hartwig Fischer described the incident as “highly unusual.”
The Museum regrets what occurred, but we have put an end to it and are committed to making things right, Fischer said. We have already tightened our security measures, and we are collaborating with outside experts to compile a complete inventory of what has been lost, broken, or stolen.
“When we learned earlier this year that items from the collection had been stolen, the Trustees of the British Museum were very alarmed. In collaboration with the team at the Museum, the Trustees have taken decisive action to address the situation, according to George Osborne, chair of the British Museum.
Osborne stated that the museum’s top priorities right now are to find the stolen items, determine what could have been done to prevent those actions, and “to do whatever it takes, with investment in security and collection records, to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“It’s a sad day for all of us who love our British Museum, but we’re determined to right the wrongs and use the experience to build a stronger Museum,” Osborne said.
READ ALSO: Who Is The Fulton County DA Who Has Been Looking Into Trump, Fani Willis?
