Europol reports more violent museum burglaries across Europe

Herz — World Desk · 24 August 2026 at 15:02 · 30s summary · 2 min read

What the report says

Museum burglaries across Europe are becoming more violent, according to a Europol report published Monday and reported by The Guardian. Offenders have used firearms, sledgehammers, axes and explosives.

Europol, the EU agency that facilitates intelligence-sharing between national police forces, says several member states have observed this shift towards violent and coercive methods.

In some cases, firearms have been used to intimidate security staff and visitors. Other burglaries have involved restraining or directly assaulting staff and using brute force.

The use of violence is closely associated with targeted operations, suggesting that specific objects were identified in advance and the thefts were planned.

Different criminal profiles

Some recently arrested suspects had records involving other forms of crime. Their profiles differ from those of conventional cultural-goods traffickers, who generally avoid violence and specialise in organised property crime or the theft of cultural objects.

In several recent cases, offenders were reportedly recruited locally through social media and instant-messaging services. Some had no previous connection to one another and coordinated only for the operation.

That temporary structure differs from established cultural-goods trafficking networks, which are generally organised around a core group led by one person.

Europol says low-level museum thieves may be recruited at random under a “crime-as-a-service” model, although more evidence is required. It is also examining whether criminals active in other markets have identified museum burglaries as a low-risk, high-return activity.

The objects most often targeted

Precious metals and jewellery are favoured targets because of their value. Gold and silver can be melted down, while gemstones can be removed from their settings.

Antique Chinese porcelain is also targeted for its financial value. Europol says strong demand may make such objects easier to resell on the art market.

Burglaries in France and the Netherlands

1. 2024
   Four masked suspects carrying baseball bats and axes steal seven diamond-set gold objects from the Musée Cognacq-Jay in Paris.
2. January 2025
   A group uses explosives to enter the Drents Museum in the Netherlands and steals several Dacian objects.