UK Arrests in Raids Concerning Stolen Artefacts

Handle stolen artefacts in Britain, and you might
find people like these outside your door early one morning... (BBC)

Five people have been arrested during raids by police investigating what happened to some artefacts stolen last year.  Chief Constable Mick Creedon, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead for serious organised crime, said: "we are committed to bringing all those who were involved in the conspiracy to justice.

Hundreds of officers from 26 forces and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) are involved in the operation. Searches have taken place in London, Sussex, West Midlands, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Northern Ireland.

The burglaries concerned were of Chinese artefacts and a rhino horn at Durham University's Oriental Museum, Gorringes Auction House in East Sussex, Norwich Castle Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge in April last year. Although a number of the stolen items were recovered, several high-value items are still missing.

So far, eight people have been convicted and jailed for a total of more than 40 years for their roles in the break-ins. Five more arrests have been made after the raids earlier. Four men were detained after police broke down the door of a mobile home at Smithy Fen travellers' site in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire. A fifth man was arrested at an address in Walsall.

So, if you've bought items from these guys, no questions asked, you'd better hope the police cannot trace you.

BBC, 'Five arrested in raids over thefts from museums and auction houses', 10 September 2013

• Men jailed for £2m museum theft   08 February 2013, Tyne and Wear
• Rare Chinese art thieves detained  27 September 2012, Cambridgeshire
• Man jailed over rhino horn theft  03 December 2012, Norfolk
• Man sought over antique cup theft 20 March 2012, Sussex
  

UPDATE 10.09 2013:
 Article's title now reads "Museum theft raid police arrest 19 people":

Five men - aged 20, 31, 35, 53 and 54 - and two women, aged 28 and 54, were arrested in London. Four men - aged 24, 41, 44 and 56 - were arrested in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, after police broke down the door of a mobile home at Smithy Fen travellers' site. Two men, aged 28 and 46, were arrested in Essex. A 60-year-old man was arrested in Sussex, a 32-year-old man was arrested at an address in Walsall, and a 67-year-old man was arrested in Nottingham. Three men have also been arrested in Northern Ireland.