[MSN] Thieves target Aboriginal art

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Thieves target Aboriginal art

Security footage showing two men gaining access to the Aboriginal Art
Galleries of Australia in Spring Street, Melbourne, on February 1 by
smashing a side window with rocks:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/thieves-target-aboriginal-art/2007/04
/11/1175971144714.html#

April 11, 2007 - 4:37PM

Police believe a gang specialising in stealing Aboriginal art has struck
again, this time stealing $80,000 worth of art from a city gallery.

Police said in the early hours of last Wednesday thieves smashed the front
doors of the Kimberly Art Gallery in Flinders Lane.

"Once inside the thieves have selected 10 artworks, valued at a total of
$80,000," police said.

And at 5am on Friday March 30, two men broke into a High Street art gallery,
stealing four paintings.

The paintings, valued at a total of $14,000, were recovered a short time
later in an abandoned vehicle.

"This is the third time this particular gallery has been targeted.
Previously stolen were two very distinctive works Possum & Kangaroo and Body
Paint."

Art dealers are warned to be on the lookout for anyone trying to sell
Aboriginal paintings.

The latest burglary is just the latest in a string of thefts to hit
Melbourne galleries specialising in Aboriginal art.

"It is estimated that the thieves have stolen in excess of $250,000 worth of
Aboriginal art since December 2005," police said.

The same thieves are believed to have targeted the Aboriginal Art Galleries
of Australia in Spring Street, Melbourne, on February 1, when two men gained
access to the gallery by smashing a front window.

On that occasion two paintings worth $40,000 were stolen.

It's believed the same thieves attended this gallery a year earlier when
$120,000 worth of aboriginal paintings were stolen in February 2006.

On January 9 this year thieves smashed the front glass door of Aboriginal
Gallery of Dreamings in Bourke Street and stole 20 unframed paintings.

Police believe the same thieves struck the High on Art Aboriginal Gallery in
Armadale on January 19, 2007, which was also burgled in October 2006 and
December 2005.

Melbourne Criminal Investigation Unit's Detective Senior Constable Rebecca
Hall told theage.com.au the thieves appear to be more opportunistic, rather
than deliberately targeting valuable Aboriginal art.

"Whether they've got knowledge of what they're actually taking is debatable,
because one of the owners did state to me that there was more valuable
paintings nearby and they were just left (behind)."

Detective Hall said selling the stolen artwork could be hard within
Australia, but not overseas.

"I spoken to some of the art gallery owners and they're at a loss as to
where they are going . . . it could be going overseas, but it's difficult to
say where it's going."

Police are warning art dealers to be on the lookout for anyone trying to
sell Aboriginal paintings.

theage.com.au