You can purchase copies of my books, signed personally for you, at this site:
Reluctant Burglar
Reluctant Runaway
Reluctant Smuggler
Art Crime Ranked with Drug and Arms Trafficking!
According to experts, art and cultural property crime ranks with drug and arms trafficking in scope and international impact. The FBI calls the illicit trade in art and cultural property "a major category of international crime." They estimate losses running as high as $6 billion annually.
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/arttheft/arttheft.htm
Wow! No wonder crooks love this game. Greed is a universal language among thieves—from smash and grab amateurs to highly organized theft rings. But the cost to society goes far beyond dollars and cents. As a U.S. Customs agent says, "Works like this are not some expendable commodity. They are priceless treasures."
Security: A Real Debate
In 2003, Robert Mang, an alarm systems expert, stole a $65 million dollar Renaissance figurine from Vienna's Art History Museum as a prank. The theft touched off hot debate regarding the quality of security at Vienna's famed museum. Mang said the theft was "child's play" due to lack of bulletproof glass, obsolete security cameras and outmoded motion detectors. Tsk, tsk. Too bad they didn't hire HJ Securities. And too bad for Mr. Mang the authorities didn't think his theft was funny. In 2006 he was sentenced to four years in prison, less than the maximum of ten years because of his cooperation with the law in recovering the item.
|
|