FBI probes whether items stolen from British Museum ended up in hands of US buyers on eBay: report

• The FBI is helping to investigate stolen items from the British Museum, according to the BBC.

• The agency is investigating whether any items from the museum were sold to U.S. buyers, the report said.

• This includes items purchased on eBay that may come from the museum’s collection.

The FBI is investigating the potential sale of hundreds of items stolen from the British Museum to American buyers, including some sold on eBay, the BBC reported.

The London Museum is one of the largest in the world. But since last year she has been the subject of unwanted international attention after saying more than a thousand items from her collection, including jewelry, gemstones and Greek pottery, had been stolen , were missing or damaged.

The BBC reported that the FBI is currently investigating whether any items from the museum were sold to buyers in the United States.

The FBI’s efforts include contacting individuals who purchased items on eBay, including a New Orleans man who purchased two gemstones on the platform, according to the BBC.

The man told the BBC that the FBI had contacted him for more information. He said he no longer owned the items and told the BBC he did not believe authorities had located them yet.

The Telegraph reported last year that some items stolen from the museum were listed on eBay for low prices. Items worth approximately $63,000 were priced as low as $50, according to the release.

In its report, the BBC said the FBI also likely helped recover 268 items sold on eBay to a Washington DC collector, which the museum believes belong to him.

The items may also have been sold to people in other countries, the BBC reported.

The British Museum did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.

The museum accused one of its curators, Peter Higgs, of stealing and damaging objects.

Higgs was fired last year after an internal investigation, but was not arrested or charged. He denies any involvement.

Three buyers said an eBay seller with the username “sultan1966” used the names “Paul Higgins” or “Paul” when communicating via email.

The New Orleans buyer said he purchased his items from Sultan1966, which the BBC appeared to confirm by reviewing records and receipts.

An antiques expert reported suspicions that a museum staff member had stolen secure vaults in 2013, according to The Telegraph, and missing items began showing up on eBay three years later.

Sources told the outlet that the museum had not properly cataloged the eight million items in its collection, allowing the thefts to go undetected.

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