Australian police recover stolen Egyptian treasures and charge a man after a museum break-in, with most items found undamaged.
CABOOLTURE: Australian police have recovered a trove of stolen Egyptian artefacts and charged a man following a nighttime smash-and-grab at a museum.
A 52-year-old man was accused of breaking a window and stealing the items in the early hours of Friday from the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology.
Police found most of the stolen goods with only minor damage when they searched a car the following day at a ferry terminal.
They arrested the suspect that same evening and later located the final missing artefact.
“Police will allege the man was found in possession of the last missing artefact, the wooden cat sculpture,” a statement said.
The man, named by local media as Miguel Simon Mungarrieta Monsalve, faces charges including breaking and entering and wilful damage.
A prosecutor told a court on Monday the man stole a mummy mask, a collar, jewellery and the wooden cat.
The prosecutor said the suspect caused “irreparable damage” to other items, according to public broadcaster ABC.
The court also heard the suspect told police he believed the museum had links to the Catholic Church.
The museum said it was “relieved and grateful” to get the artefacts back.
However, the items cannot go back on display immediately.
“Each piece must first undergo professional assessment and conservation to protect its long-term future,” the museum stated.
