170 antique books worth $3.3 million disappeared across nine countries
Around 170 antique editions of Russian literary classics, primarily works by Alexander Pushkin, were stolen from libraries across Europe between 2022 and 2023, with the total damage estimated at $3.3 million.
The thefts occurred in libraries in Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Estonia. Investigators found that many rare books lacked magnetic security tags, making them easy targets for theft.
In December 2022, Latvian police identified a suspect through DNA analysis. Beka Tsirekidze, a Georgian national previously convicted of theft, was found in possession of book restoration tools and library cards from Vienna, Vilnius, Kyiv, Munich, and Paris.
Two more individuals were detained in Poland in 2023. A joint international investigation team was subsequently formed, uncovering that some of the stolen books may have been sold through international auction houses.
By February 2025, five people had been convicted in connection with the thefts. Four received prison sentences, while one was given a suspended sentence.
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