Steal?

[Кирилл Сызранский]

«A masterpiece - and no protection»
The President of the Russian auction house told how thieves can steal "Poppies" by Van Gogh from the Egyptian Museum

opinion about how professional thieves have worked and who may be involved in the crime, with newspaper shared VIEW Senior President auction house "Gelos» Oleg Stetsyura.

VIEW: Oleg Nikolayevich, how do you think the theft was made possible because of the high-class thieves?

Oleg Stetsyura: In the case of "Macs" difficult to talk about "professionalism" of criminals. Based on the information that reached me and published in the media, the theft was made possible because of the incompetence of the museum. In addition, the security system in a particular museum not just been disabled, it is outdated and, consequently, virtually no work.

VIEW: Could guards to prevent crime not by technique: surveillance cameras, motion detectors, alarms, - but just being inside the museum, near the picture?
OS: In the time of the theft protection was at prayer in the mosque. So catch a thief's hand was impossible. The time when the museum is empty, even a child could podgadat.

VIEW: Who should be the customer of the crime, if any, are there?

OS: No judge this early. The crime is impossible to understand whether the super-thieves, or, roughly speaking, street pickpocket, received an unexpected order. If the robbers really picked the right time, to estimate the time when it is possible to commit a crime, then most likely, the customer is, and it is a private collector. Otherwise it's just amateurs who wanted to touch the beautiful.

VIEW: If it is a major private collector, then what can it be?

OS: It is unlikely we will ever learn the name of the new owner of the painting. Works such as "Macs", of course, often ends up in private collections, and the new owner does not even have the possibility to anyone to show them. Have a masterpiece of such a high level - this is very selfish pleasure, and in the world, relatively few collectors willing to keep the secret of whose masterpiece. Gaze at the pictures is he alone. Imagine the situation: the millionaire and owner of a collection of paintings invite peers to lunch, where they demonstrated a stolen painting. Imagine what will be their reaction? They saw it as a thief.

VIEW: And if the offense was committed "independent" thieves who have stolen Macs with the idea to sell the painting on the black market for antiquities?

OS: Sell now after the theft impossible. That is why the stolen masterpieces after a while throw in a museum or to the police: the kidnappers convinced that will not be able to earn, and to get rid of the most important clues to part with it.
VIEW: Do the police a chance to solve the crime and find the thieves?

OS: Hardly. If this order, the masterpiece already settled in a private collection. If this is unprofessional, then they will throw it to law enforcement agencies. Remember, thieves canvases rarely find.

VIEW: How seriously do paintings are protected around the world?

OS: Just say impossible. Information about the security systems of each of the museums secret. In practice, works of art thefts in recent years can be said - despite which, in some museums - well, in others - poor, and the cost of the work is not very much and it depends.

VIEW: Tell us, and which now protect most carefully - so that it is impossible to steal?

OS: Again, the answer to this question is impossible. The case of "Macs" is proof of that. A masterpiece - and no protection.
http://vz.ru/culture/2010/8/23/427230.html

[SergeiSK]

[Тютчев]

[Тютчев]

in the theft of paintings by Van Gogh suspect the officer at Cairo Museum

The theft of paintings by Van Gogh is one of the officers involved in Cairo Mahmoud Khalil Museum, which houses painting, announced Sunday, September 26, Egypt's Interior Minister Habib al-Adli, said Agence France-Presse.
"A number of circumstances, theft indicates that a museum employee, or was involved in this crime, either in person stole the picture," - said Minister of the Interior.

Speaking about the investigation of theft, the Interior Minister stressed that the search pattern Egyptian police are in close cooperation with Interpol and intelligence services of several countries. In this case, al-Adly did not say how far the investigation.

Painting of Vincent Van Gogh's "Poppy" was stolen from a museum Mahmoud Khalil in Cairo in the morning on Aug. 21, 2010. Canvas, estimated at 50 million dollars, seamlessly cut from the frame and carried out of the museum.

During the investigation of thefts revealed that the majority of CCTV cameras in the museum did not work, but installed on high-value scenes sensors were disconnected. In addition, it appears that the administration of the museum some time ago, has significantly reduced the state security officers.

In connection with the abduction of paintings by Van Gogh law enforcement authorities of Egypt have begun to prosecute several high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Culture, against whom were charged with negligence.

http://www.lenta.ru/news/2010/09/27/egypt/

[Евгений]

The court sentenced 11 members of the Ministry of Culture of Egypt for three years in prison for negligence, which resulted from the Cairo Museum was stolen painting by Vincent van Gogh, reported Agence France-Presse.
Among those sentenced to imprisonment were two high-ranking officials: the head of the department of fine arts Mohsen Shaalan and Rome Bahir, the museum's director Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil, of whom 21 August this year, has been kidnapped by Van Gogh painting "Poppies."

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The painting, also known as the "Vase with viskariyami", was carved out of its frame and stolen in front of the audience. The cost of a masterpiece worth $ 50 million
The investigation revealed that the protection of the premises where the picture was exhibited, for unknown reasons, has been severely weakened, and the majority of CCTV cameras were not working as well as alarm.
"Poppies" by Van Gogh are kidnapped for the second time. For the first time this happened was in 1978. Two years later she was found in Kuwait.
The present theft has not yet disclosed. Earlier, an Egyptian businessman attempted to pass himself off as a thief. He called the central administration of security the Ministry of Culture of Egypt and demanded the return of allegedly at its disposal "Mac" $ 6 million This amount is only about 10 percent of the market value of the painting. The fraudster then was caught and arrested.