Museum heists have turned more violent, with thieves hired on social media, Europol says
Europol said thieves are using social media to form ad-hoc crews as gold prices rise 85% and violent museum robberies increase.
- On Monday, Europol warned that art thieves in Europe are increasingly using violence to target gold and jewels, with traditional specialist gangs replaced by ad-hoc groups recruited through social media.
- Criminals now breach premises using sledgehammers, axes, and explosives, abandoning traditional "deception and stealth" for a decentralized "crime-as-a-service" model relying on profit-seeking opportunists.
- The October heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris saw thieves threaten guards to steal €88 million in jewels, including Empress Eugenie's tiara; a similar January robbery in the Netherlands targeted a Dacian golden helmet.
- Gold prices surged 85% over the past two years as investors and central banks seek safe-haven assets, prompting London Bullion Market Association officials to warn that illicit flows and market distortions are increasing.
- Precious metals can be easily melted down, leaving no trace for law enforcement, while precious stones in jewelry are removed and sold, facilitating illicit sales during the fencing process.
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European museum robbers are increasingly turning to violence and targeting gold and jewelry, with previously professional criminal gangs being replaced by random criminals organized on social media, Reuters reports, citing Europol.
Museum thefts used to happen quietly and without violence. But now Europol is seeing a new trend – museums in Europe are increasingly being subjected to violence as criminals try to get their hands on valuables.
Robberies at European museums have become increasingly violent, according to a report from Europol. Thieves are using sledgehammers, axes and explosives to break into buildings, and criminals are increasingly using weapons to threaten staff and visitors.
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