Stéphane Breitwieser stole well over 200 works—with a total value of more than $1bn
sculptures, tapestries, altarpieces, musical instruments, tobacco boxes and weaponry. Experts value the haul at somewhere between $1bn and $2bn.
Mr Breitwieser would walk into a museum or auction house, work out the security weaknesses and take advantage of opportunities presented to him. He knew how to slice deftly through the silicon glue that held display cases together and how to wriggle a painting out of its frame. It was important to behave normally while the deed was being done: lingering too long at a particular spot, or running out of a museum, would be bound to arouse suspicion.
Eventually museum officials and police grasped what was happening. Mr Breitwieser got sloppy. He was caught stealing a painting, then a gold-plated bugle. In 2002
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