Works by Russian literary greats reminiscent of Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol have been substituted with worthless counterfeits from European libraries.
European authorities say they’ve rounded up a legal gang who stole uncommon vintage books price €2.5 million from libraries throughout Europe.
In a press launch, Europol introduced that they had arrested 9 Georgian nationals in Georgia and Lithuania who’re thought to have collaborated within the plot, by which at the least 170 books have been stolen.
“In 2022 and 2023, the legal group managed to steal uncommon books from nationwide and historic libraries in Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Switzerland,” Europol defined in its account of the arrests.
“The thieves would goal uncommon books by primarily Russian writers, reminiscent of first editions authored by the likes of Alexander Pushkin or Nikolai Gogol.”
The EU Company for Legislation Enforcement detailed that the thieves would go to libraries and request to examine the vintage books in particular person, feigning a selected cause, reminiscent of educational curiosity.
They’d then meticulously measure the books and take pictures earlier than handing them again.
“A number of days, weeks, or months later, the perpetrators would return and ask to entry the identical books, this time returning counterfeit variations. Specialists have established that the copies have been of excellent high quality,” Europol continued.
“In different instances, the perpetrators relied on a extra crude method and easily broke into libraries. In preparation of the thefts, they’d usually go to libraries and analysis the books they later stole.”
The swoop on the gang concerned greater than 100 officers throughout 27 totally different places, and the investigation was backed by authorities from 10 totally different international locations.
Greater than 150 books have been recovered – their provenance is now being established.