According to European News TV, on the early morning of August 27th local time, the Biella Museum in the province of Alicante, Spain, was robbed, and 59 artifacts from the late Bronze Age were stolen.
The Biellina city government stated that the thief carried out a "feigned attack" before committing the crime. They triggered an alarm at the sports center in the suburbs of Biellina at 5:16 am, to distract the police. Then, at 5:20, they broke into the Biellina Museum through a window and completed the crime in less than four minutes. By 5:24, the police arrived at the museum, but the thief had already fled.
Surveys indicate that the thieves initially tried to enter through the main entrance of the museum, but failed. They then targeted the side windows, which were equipped with security systems and reinforced with glass. They broke into the museum through these windows. Investigators believe that this was not an opportunistic theft, but rather carried out by a well-organized and trained professional theft gang.
Birena Treasure, Birena Museum
According to reports, thieves stole 59 artifacts made of gold, silver, iron, and amber. These artifacts date back to the late Bronze Age and are part of the “Birena Treasure” collected by the museum. They also stole three crowns that were part of the museum’s collection. It is estimated that the total value of the stolen artifacts could exceed 1.5 million euros.
The “Bilena Treasure” was unearthed in 1963. It consists of dozens of artifacts made of gold, silver, iron, and amber. It is one of the most important discoveries of Bronze Age gold objects in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe.
Currently, the Spanish National Guard and police are investigating this theft case.
The Spanish newspaper El País reported that this is the third cultural relics theft case in the country in four months. On April 25th, a theft occurred at the Archaeological Museum in Badajoz, where 144 gold coins minted during the reigns of Carlos I and Fernando VI were stolen. On July 27th, four masked criminals broke into the Algeciras Museum and stole over 200 gold coins that were being exhibited temporarily.
Alicante Archaeological Museum’s Technical Director Manuel Orsini said that recent museum thefts have shown signs of organized crime, which has caused concern among Spanish cultural heritage experts. This has forced various museums to reconsider their security measures.
Spanish investigators have not yet linked the theft at the Biéna Museum to the previous two incidents. Mayor Fulfengcio Seldan of Biéna said that the judicial authorities are focusing their efforts on investigating this case.
