[MSN] Massive artwork theft in popular Brussels castle. thieves escaped with a large amount of wall tapestries, paintings from various master painters and other objects.

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Massive artwork theft in popular Brussels castle

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Again: the victim gives compliments to the thieves. How about the security?
TC
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9 February 2006

BRUSSELS — Thieves escaped with millions of euros in artworks from the
Castle of Grand-Bigard near Brussels on Wednesday night.

Police, public prosecution officials and forensics experts were conducting
investigations at the scene of the crime on Thursday.

A gardener discovered the theft on Thursday morning. Finding a door of the
residential wing of the castle ajar, the gardener immediately alerted
police.

A detailed inventory of the stolen items has not yet been compiled, but it
is already clear that the thieves escaped with a large amount of wall
tapestries, paintings from various master painters and other objects.

Police have estimated the value of the stolen artworks extends into the
millions of euros, newspaper 'Het Nieuwsblad' reported.

According to the owner of the castle, the thieves were experts because they
knew exactly what they wanted to take. A copy of a small painting, for
example, was left behind.

The thieves had also gathered up several other paintings to take with them,
but abandoned them for an unknown reason.

It is suspected that the thieves were alerted by something and fled the
scene. No other trace of the culprits has been found.

The castle is known in Dutch as the Kasteel van Groot-Bijgaarden or the
Château Grand-Bigard in French. 

More information can be found here: www.kasteelgrootbijgaarden.be.