Whereas the rising community of on-line gross sales is selling enterprise by globalising themselves, it’s also creating fertile floor for illicit commerce practices to flourish on. One such case has landed the feds of each the USA and UK in scorching waters.
The USA’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is probing the sale of doubtless stolen artefacts from the British Museum to US consumers. As per a BBC report, these historical jewels and gems went lacking from the British Museum final 12 months and have been allegedly bought to a collector in Washington DC.
As per the BBC, the British Museum reviews that out of round 1,500 gadgets they suppose have been stolen or are lacking, 626 have been recovered, and one other 100 have been positioned however not but returned. A lot of the stolen gadgets hadn’t been formally recorded, and the museum continues to be making an attempt to determine learn how to show they belong to their assortment.
British Treasures’ America Connection
A number of solen gadgets are believed to have been bought to consumers in america by way of on-line enterprise channels, making the gross sales practically untraceable. Following this, the FBI is actively investigating these gross sales, working in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police within the UK.
Notable amongst these is a purchaser in New Orleans, Tonio Birbiglia, who purchased an amethyst gem and an orange scarab-beetle gem on eBay. The collector was later contacted by the FBI concerning these two items. Nevertheless, the vendor is recognized as “sultan1966.” This ID is additional linked to Dr. Peter Higgs, a former British Museum curator.
Curator Accused Of Theft At British Museum
The BBC report means that Peter Higgs, a senior curator on the British Museum, has been accused of stealing, damaging, and promoting artefacts over the previous decade. The museum alleges he stole gadgets value roughly £100,000, primarily from its storerooms, and bought them to not less than 45 consumers on eBay. Nevertheless, Higgs denies these allegations and is defending himself in a civil lawsuit.
