[CPProt.net] Australian National University (ANU) Theft: Police Seek Motive

[CulPropProtNet/MusSecNetwork]

Australian National University (ANU) Theft: Police Seek Motive 
ACT police are investigating whether the theft of ancient Roman artefacts
from the Australian National University last year is the work of
black-market collectors or someone who wanted to return them to their
homeland, but have not ruled out a simple student prank.

Police discovered the theft of a bronze portrait head, a vase and ancient
gold jewellery when cleaners noticed signs of a break in on Wednesday,
December 8.

The portrait head dates back to the first century AD. It is believed Emperor
Augustus owned it and that it is of his wife, Livia, or sister, Octavia.

Also stolen were a 31.5cm second century AD necklace, a second century AD
ring with an engraved head on a cornelian stone, a pair of third century
purple and gold earrings and a second century vase with twisted handles and
an erotic theme.

Police recently revised the estimated value of the stolen items up from
$300,000 to almost $600,000 after the portrait head was revalued at 200,000
($A480,000).

Senior Constable Matt Neesham from ACT Policing's Territory Investigation
Group said yesterday that he did not know whether the stolen items were
still in Australia, but he was confident they would eventually turn up.

"I have no doubt about that. Whether it is in a number of years' time or
whether it is tomorrow I can't say, but they will turn up at some stage and
the beauty of the modern technology that we have with the Internet and other
resources, is that people are able to query when these items turn up and
help us identify them," he said.

"It is no longer [the case] that you can take it to another country and hide
an item, because police in that country can now search on the Internet, on
the Interpol databases and compare it with losses in other countries."

Art dealers and specialists had access to these databases and could check
items against it before deciding to buy them. Items on these databases
turned up quite frequently.

Police had also made it as difficult as possible for the items to leave
Australia by working with customs and state police forces. They were aided
by the fact the portrait head in particular was quite distinctive and rare.

An ANU spokeswoman said the university had lodged an insurance claim for the
theft. It had also completed a review of security and its outcomes were
being implemented. She would not reveal what this involved.

It was previously suggested that the thief or thieves hid in the ANU's arts
faculty museum in the AD Hope building during the day and waited until it
was empty before stealing the artefacts.

Senior Constable Neesham said police knew how the items were stolen, but did
not want to reveal it at this stage. He has also not ruled out an inside
job.

He did reveal police had recovered physical and forensic evidence from the
crime scene, including fingerprints and were using them to find the thief or
thieves.

Source: Canberra Times, 19 February 2005