On an “action day,” European law enforcement officers conducted a series of raids that led to the arrest of four individuals alleged to be part of a large rare book theft ring that had stolen rare books worth 2.5 million euros (approximately US $2.8 million). The thefts came from libraries in nine countries, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Switzerland. The action took place in Georgia (the European country) and Latvia. The alleged perpetrators were from Georgia. Previously, five other suspects had been arrested in France, Estonia, and Lithuania.
According to Europol, which conducted the raids with assistance from Eurojust, the criminal group is believed to be responsible for the theft of at least 170 books, resulting in the multi-million dollar losses. They took books mostly by Russian writers, such as Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, and Mikhail Lermontov. Many were sold at auction houses in Moscow and St. Petersburg, “effectively making them irrecoverable.” Europol described this as “an immeasurable patrimonial loss to society.”
The action involved over 100 officers, who searched 27 locations in Georgia and Latvia. Along with the arrests, 150 books were secured. They planned to investigate these to determine their provenance, since so many libraries had been victims.
Europol explained, “In preparation of the thefts, they would typically visit libraries and research the books they later stole.” “When visiting libraries, the thieves would request to check the antique books in person, feigning a specific such as academic interest. On this occasion, they would meticulously measure the books and take photographs before handing them back. Several days, weeks, or months later, the perpetrators would return and ask to access the same books, this time returning counterfeit versions. Experts have established that the copies were of outstanding quality.”
Eurojust elaborated, “In some cases, the OCG (organized crime group) members used fake identities when ordering books in the libraries, for example presenting themselves as researchers. While one OCG member pretended to consult with the library staff, thereby distracting security, another replaced the original valuable book with a copy.”
Other times, they used a more “crude approach.” They simply broke into the libraries.
The investigation began with a message from France to Europol. It led to reports of library thefts from other countries. This enabled Europol to undertake an investigation and discover the series of thefts. Authorities in Georgia were able to identify some subjects, leading to the coordinated effort that brought about the arrests and recovery of books on April 24.
