A Stolen Ming Vase Recovered in Undercover Operation

In June 2019, three Ming Dynasty objects were stolen from Geneva's Museum of Far Eastern Art, including a Yongle period white vase valued at CHF 2.2 million (about $2.5 million.) A bowl estimated at £80,000 was auctioned in Hong Kong in 2019 but was subsequently returned to the museum. The investigators finally received an important tip in July 2020 when an auction house reported that it had previously been contacted by an unknown person who wanted to have the value of the said Ming vase appraised. This person's IP address was in London.

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However, the Metropolitan Police refrained from an immediate arrest and decided on an undercover investigation in order to get not only the perpetrators, but also the stolen goods. As soon as the vase was put up for sale, investigators posed as prospective buyers. After agreeing on a price of £450,000, a meeting was held in a London hotel on October 15, 2021, where the vase was seized and three suspects, members of an international group, were arrested.

One of the three London-based men, aged between 27 and 48, previously pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to convert criminal property" in March 2023 and the other two were found guilty by Southwark Crown Court on August 18, 2023. The verdict is expected on October 13.

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"These convictions are the result of four years’ work crossing international boundaries and involving collaboration between many internal and external partners," says Detective Chief Inspector Matt Webb of the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime. "The organized crime group involved in this offending believed they could commit significant offenses internationally and that there would be no comeback. They were mistaken, highlighting the strength of our relations with international law enforcement partners and our ability to work across international boundaries."

However, in order to complete the investigation of this crime, the third of the stolen objects must also be recovered, which is a doucai-style porcelain bowl. A £10,000 reward has been offered for information.

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