FBI investigating US eBay sales of treasures suspected of being stolen from British Museum
- London museum said last year that more than 1,000 items including jewellery, gems and Greek pottery, had been stolen, were missing, or had been damaged
- FBI’s efforts include contacting people who bought items on eBay, including a man in New Orleans who bought two gems on the platform, the BBC reported
The FBI is investigating the potential sale of hundreds of items stolen from the British Museum to American buyers, including some sold on eBay, the BBC reported.
The London museum is one of the biggest in the world. But since last year it has been the subject of unwanted worldwide attention after it said that more than 1,000 items from its collection, including jewellery, gems and Greek pottery, had been stolen, were missing, or had been damaged.
The FBI’s efforts include contacting individuals who bought items on eBay, including a man in New Orleans who bought two gems on the platform, according to the BBC.
The man told the BBC that the FBI had reached out to him for more information. He said he no longer had the items and told the BBC he did not think the authorities had located them yet.
The Telegraph reported last year that some items stolen from the museum were listed on eBay at low prices. Items worth around US$63,000 were listed for as little as US$50, it said.
In its report, the BBC said that FBI had also probably helped in recovering 268 items that were sold to a Washington collector on eBay, which the museum says belong to it. Items may also have been sold to people in other countries, the BBC reported.
