Cheryl Chan, The Province
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008
The lone security guard patrolling the University of B.C. Museum of Anthropology was on a cigarette break when thieves broke in late Friday and made off with $2-million worth of gold treasures, according to the museum's director.
Anthony Shelton told CBC News that the burglary appears to have been well organized.
The thieves, wearing gas masks, first sprayed the room with a powerful bear repellent, said Shelton.
They grabbed three Mexican gold-plated necklaces that were in drawers before going after a dozen gold artworks by iconic Haida artist Bill Reid behind glass display windows.
Shelton said several key surveillance cameras mysteriously went off-line four hours before the heist.
The camera shut-down triggered an electronic alarm, he said, but nothing appeared to have been done about it. Both silent and audible alarms were working at the time of the theft, he added.
The guard didn't alert campus security, which is in charge of museum security, and the theft wasn't discovered until the 9 a.m. shift change.
Neither Shelton, the university, nor the RCMP would confirm the CBC report yesterday, citing an ongoing investigation.
UBC is "vigorously" reviewing the museum's security systems, said spokesman Scott Macrae.
"If a problem arises, we look to see if any improvements can be made. However, there are no conclusions at this point."
Macrae said the stolen goods are insured by the university.
Jennifer Fahrni, whose mother Jean was a long-time friend of Bill Reid, was dismayed to learn about the details of the heist.
"It sounds like something or somebody in security didn't do their job correctly," Fahrni said.
"If the surveillance goes off-line, call the police. It's obvious, if you're protecting that kind of treasure."
Shelton told The Province the theft is the first security breach in the museum's 60 years of operation.
"We have a Category A security clearance" which allows the museum to borrow and host international travelling exhibitions, he said. "Our security is equal to any other museum of our stature."
Meanwhile, police said they are "saturating" the international art market with descriptions and photographs of the stolen works.
Information has been sent to Interpol, Quebec-based Art Alert's e-mail list, and magazines, journals and websites specializing in aboriginal art.
"The word is definitely out there, but we also want to appeal to other communities, like pawnshops locally," said RCMP spokeswoman Const. Annie Linteau.
The theft could be targeted, meaning there's already an unscrupulous buyer waiting in the wings, or the artifacts could have been stolen for their metal content, Shelton said.
Melted down, the gold would be worth just $15,000, while the items' appraised value is about $2 million.
The museum and UBC have offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the return of the artifacts. The federal government announced yesterday it would match that sum.
Security guard smoking during Bill Reid artifact heist at UBC
Cheryl Chan, The Province
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008
The lone security guard patrolling the University of B.C. Museum of Anthropology was on a cigarette break when thieves broke in late Friday and made off with $2-million worth of gold treasures, according to the museum's director.
Anthony Shelton told CBC News that the burglary appears to have been well organized.
The thieves, wearing gas masks, first sprayed the room with a powerful bear repellent, said Shelton.
They grabbed three Mexican gold-plated necklaces that were in drawers before going after a dozen gold artworks by iconic Haida artist Bill Reid behind glass display windows.
Shelton said several key surveillance cameras mysteriously went off-line four hours before the heist.
The camera shut-down triggered an electronic alarm, he said, but nothing appeared to have been done about it. Both silent and audible alarms were working at the time of the theft, he added.
The guard didn't alert campus security, which is in charge of museum security, and the theft wasn't discovered until the 9 a.m. shift change.
Neither Shelton, the university, nor the RCMP would confirm the CBC report yesterday, citing an ongoing investigation.
UBC is "vigorously" reviewing the museum's security systems, said spokesman Scott Macrae.
"If a problem arises, we look to see if any improvements can be made. However, there are no conclusions at this point."
Macrae said the stolen goods are insured by the university.
Jennifer Fahrni, whose mother Jean was a long-time friend of Bill Reid, was dismayed to learn about the details of the heist.
"It sounds like something or somebody in security didn't do their job correctly," Fahrni said.
"If the surveillance goes off-line, call the police. It's obvious, if you're protecting that kind of treasure."
Shelton told The Province the theft is the first security breach in the museum's 60 years of operation.
"We have a Category A security clearance" which allows the museum to borrow and host international travelling exhibitions, he said. "Our security is equal to any other museum of our stature."
Meanwhile, police said they are "saturating" the international art market with descriptions and photographs of the stolen works.
Information has been sent to Interpol, Quebec-based Art Alert's e-mail list, and magazines, journals and websites specializing in aboriginal art.
"The word is definitely out there, but we also want to appeal to other communities, like pawnshops locally," said RCMP spokeswoman Const. Annie Linteau.
The theft could be targeted, meaning there's already an unscrupulous buyer waiting in the wings, or the artifacts could have been stolen for their metal content, Shelton said.
Melted down, the gold would be worth just $15,000, while the items' appraised value is about $2 million.
The museum and UBC have offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the return of the artifacts. The federal government announced yesterday it would match that sum.
