The Police Returned the Stolen Vase From the Museum in Geneva, Worth $2.5 Million

British and Swiss police carried out a successful special operation and returned a vase from the Min dynasty to the Geneva museum, valued at $2.5 million. The artwork was stolen in 2019.

This was reported by the Associated Press.

An ancient Chinese vase from the times of the legendary Min dynasty became one of the three items stolen from the Far East Art Museum in Geneva.

This year, the British police managed to identify and arrest members of a criminal group that organized the theft and attempted to resell the artwork.

As reported by the London police in their statement, a London court has already found two men guilty of attempting to sell the valuable vase. Another person has also admitted their guilt and awaits trial, while two others are awaiting trial in Switzerland. They are accused of direct involvement in the robbery.

The London police emphasized that the operation to detect and apprehend the thieves was carried out in cooperation with Swiss authorities.

"The organized criminal group involved in this crime believed they could commit significant international crimes and avoid punishment," said Chief Inspector Matt Webb of the specialized crime-fighting division. "They were mistaken. Thus underscoring the strength of our relationship with international law enforcement partners and our ability to work beyond international borders."

In this regard, a Swedish auction house informed law enforcement about receiving a letter from an unknown sender requesting an evaluation of the vase. Art experts immediately recognized the stolen exhibit from the Geneva museum.

Working undercover, the police offered the criminals to buy the vase for $573,000 and arranged a meeting in one of the most popular London hotels, where they managed to arrest the first suspect. Later, the rest of the suspects were also apprehended.

At the same time, the London police announced a reward of $12,000 for anyone who helps investigators find and return the porcelain Wine Cup painted in the Chinese technique of porcelain painting known as "ducai," which was also stolen from the Geneva museum. Ultimately, the exhibit valued at $102,000 was also located and returned to the museum's collection.

Recall that it has recently become known that the British Museum dismissed its employee after the theft of artifacts dating back to the 15th century.

Among the stolen artifacts were gold decorations made of semi-precious stones and glass. Mostly, these were small items that had been stored and not displayed recently.

The museum plans to file a lawsuit against the dismissed employee, and the circumstances of the artifacts' disappearance are already being investigated by the London Metropolitan Police Service.