How old books worth 4 million "green" were found, impudently stolen in London 3 years ago

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Typically, thieves steal valuables that are easy to resell on the black market - gems, jewelry, paintings, gold, or money. Three years ago, an extraordinary event happened in London: … books were stolen from the warehouse! Unique rare editions, including works by Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton and Dante Alighieri, are one of a kind. Of course, not out of love for literature and science. How did the British police manage to solve this intricate, intricate crime and what is known about its customers?

Three years ago, rare old books and ancient texts, worth about $ 4 million, were supposed to be auctioned in Las Vegas. They were preparing to leave London and were temporarily in a warehouse prior to their departure abroad. These plans were not destined to come true - in January the warehouse was robbed.

The crime was very well thought out, all the actions of the robbers were accurately calculated and verified to the smallest detail. They cut a hole in the roof and climbed down on the ropes, thus tricking the motion sensors. In just a couple of hours, all the precious books were put into sacks, and the thieves escaped the same way.

The stolen values included the works of the great astronomer Galileo Galilei, the brilliant physicist Isaac Newton, incredibly rare copies of the works of the writer Dante Alighieri, and unique sketches of the master Goya. Most of the books date from the 16th-17th centuries.

Such things are very difficult to sell. The only exceptions are cases when the buyer is an erudite millionaire who longs to own a centuries-old book that he will never even be able to show to anyone. It is difficult to find such fanatical people, there are only a few of them. Nevertheless, rare books continue to be stolen from libraries and bookstores. Thefts even take place at book fairs, during which traders gather to display their wares and show off unique finds to each other.

Most often, of course, such thefts occur when valuables are located between locations, at intermediate points. This is what happened with a collection of about 200 rare books, ancient texts, sketches by famous artists, three years ago in London. The valuables were kept in a warehouse and waited to be sent to Las Vegas for an auction. In total, this collection was valued at nearly $ 3.5 million. At the time of the disappearance, the rare items belonged to three different booksellers. The books were insured, but is it possible to compensate for such a loss in cash?

“These books are of immense value that is difficult to measure in money. These are unique items of incredible importance to the international cultural heritage,”said Andy Durham, criminologist of London police, who was investigating the daring robbery.

When this terrible crime happened, several law enforcement agencies teamed up to solve it, find values and punish those responsible. The investigation lasted more than two years. The UK police cooperated with Europol, the Romanian police and the Italian police. In the summer, law enforcement officers detained thirteen people who were involved in the robbery. All but one have already admitted their guilt. A month and a half ago, a valuable cache was finally discovered. It was found in the basement of a farmhouse in Neamt in northeastern Romania.

The police found out that an influential Romanian criminal group specializing in similar crimes was behind the robbery. Usually, members of this group come to the UK, commit theft and then take the stolen abroad in parts. The criminals have connections with several criminal clans in Romania. Law enforcers also suspect the involvement of such a Romanian crime boss as Ioanne Clamparu. He was convicted back in 2012 of human trafficking, money laundering and murder.

In the theft, sustained in the style of a Hollywood thriller, everything was perfectly thought out and perfect. Two men, Daniel David and Victor Opariuk, punched holes in the roof of the mail warehouse on that dark and cold January night in Feltham. Sitting on shelves to avoid detection by motion sensors, they folded books for five hours. A third man, Narcis Popescu, was waiting nearby in a car.

Thanks to the cooperation of law enforcement agencies from different countries, the theft was discovered, and the perpetrators were caught and arrested. Police in London called the investigation, subsequent arrests and the discovery of books "the perfect end of this operation." A law enforcement statement released last month did not say how police found the books under the house. The photographs show that they were tightly wrapped in plastic, probably to protect them from adverse weather conditions.

The thieves' group has already committed many different robberies before. But such exotic values were stolen by them for the first time. If there was a prospective client willing to pay millions for antique books until the information was released by the police. All agencies involved described the investigation, arrests and property recovery as successful. The perpetrators are in jail, and the loot was found safe and sound before being resold. The three-year operation has shown an impressive level of cooperation between countries. The noble goal of returning important cultural values was shared by everyone. After all, priceless books could be lost forever. Now they will be returned to their rightful owners.

Unexpected pleasant finds lie in wait for researchers, it would seem, in the most unexpected places. For example, read our article on what secrets the 400-year-old edition of Shakespeare's last play has revealed, recently found in Spain.