http://museum-security.org/

'They' did it again! It cannot be said often enough. All these
electronic alarm devices are of no value whatever as long as the
building structure allows criminals to get in quickly and get away
before police or security officers arrive. The building structure
must be such that alarm is set off as soon as people try to get in
and they still need a long time to actually enter. These kinds of
incidents can be and should be prevented.
Ton Cremers



Thieves steal Antwerp museum's only Van Gogh
 10:41 a.m. Sep 04, 1997 Eastern
 BRUSSELS, Sept 4 (Reuter) - A highly organized gang of robbers,
 probably working on commission, stole Antwerp Fine Arts Museum's only
 work by Vincent Van Gogh on Wednesday night, Scientific Director Eric
 Vandamme told Reuters on Thursday.
 The oil-on-paper sketch entitled ``The potato picker'' is valued at
 30 million francs ($800,000) .
 ``But its historic value is far higher than its financial value,''
 Vandamme said by telephone from the Belgian port city.
 ``They were only in the building two or three minutes and in that
 time they stole two paintings,'' Vandamme said.
 The thieves, who broke in through a window -- setting off an alarm
as they did so -- also cut ``People in the park'' by Adolf Monticelli
 from its frame and were in the process of giving the same treatment
 to a work by Edgar Degas when they had to flee.
 The Monticelli is valued at between two and four million francs
 ($54,000 - $108,000).
 ``They were after our Van Gogh and our French impressionists. They
 were very professional. They knew exactly what they wanted, and were
 probably working to order,'' Vandamme said.
 ``You cannot sell the Van Gogh on the open market. It is destined to
 be hidden away in the safe of some collector,'' he added. ($ - 37.53
 Belgian Francs) ^REUTER@
 Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited.
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