Published on
31/08/2026 - 15:57 GMT+2
It's emerged Europol's warning about the rise in museum thefts reached Spain's Villena Museum (MUVI) a day after thieves broke into the institution and made off with much of the Treasure of Villena, one of the most important Bronze Age gold hoards in Europe.
On 24 August, three days before the heist, Europol, the European Union's official law enforcement agency, published a report warning that attacks on European museums were changing and highlighting criminals' growing interest in gold, other precious metals and gemstones.
The theft took place in the early hours of 27 August. The museum's alarm went off at 5:16, after the intruders had entered the building and stolen much of the Treasure. However, the communication containing Europol's warning did not reach MUVI until 28 August, between 14:00 and 14:05, according to the emails.
