Art heist targeting million-dollar masterpieces exposes blind spots in museum defenses, expert warns

A bold depository heist overseas is drafting planetary attraction and raising caller questions astir whether akin crimes could hap successful the United States.

Works attributed to masters similar Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse were swiped from the Magnani Rocca Foundation successful Italy the nighttime of March 22-23. The theft made planetary headlines, but an adept says the existent communicative goes beyond the transgression itself.

Geoff Kelly, a retired FBI cause who worked connected the bureau's Art Crime Team, told Fox News Digital that these types of crimes are much communal than galore radical recognize and not astir arsenic blase arsenic they whitethorn appear.

"Stealing the artwork is easy," Kelly said. "Kicking successful a door, breaking a window, and moving disconnected with it is not difficult."

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The suspects allegedly stole much than 1,000 humanities artifacts from the museum, successful what officials are calling a "crime of opportunity." (Oakland Police Department/TMX)

That world is fueling concerns astir vulnerabilities wrong museums, including successful the U.S.

Kelly explained that museums look a built-in situation erstwhile it comes to security. Unlike banks oregon vaults, they are designed to beryllium open, accessible and inviting to the public—an situation that tin besides beryllium exploited by criminals.

"Museums are ever going to beryllium vulnerable," helium said. "They’re not vaults—they’re designed to beryllium unfastened and welcoming."

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The Stewart Gardner Museum was closed owed to a robbery successful 1990. (Tom Herde/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The U.S. has seen its stock of high-profile creation thefts, including the infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum robbery successful Boston, wherever thieves made disconnected with 13 works valued astatine astir $500 cardinal successful March 1990, which inactive remains unsolved decades later, according to Boston.com. Kelly himself worked that lawsuit for years, underscoring however adjacent large institutions tin beryllium targeted.

While Hollywood often portrays creation heists arsenic highly coordinated operations carried retired by blase crews, Kelly said galore real-world cases are acold much straightforward.

"These aren’t elaborate schemes," helium said. "A batch of times it’s smash-and-grab."

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Anthony Amore, manager of information astatine the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (left); Richard DesLauriers, peculiar cause successful complaint of the Boston Field Office of the FBI (2nd from left); Jeff Kelly, FBI cause successful complaint of the creation theft investigation; and U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz astatine a quality league successful the FBI bureau connected the authorities of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum creation heist investigation, Friday, March 15, 2013. (John Wilcox/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

In immoderate cases, thieves whitethorn person insider knowledge, whether from existent oregon erstwhile employees oregon simply by observing information practices. But Kelly said galore crimes trust connected basal weaknesses that tin beryllium addressed with comparatively elemental fixes.

Kelly added that tiny changes, similar keeping high-value pieces distant from exits oregon utilizing much unafraid mounting hardware, tin marque a meaningful quality by slowing down a thief and giving instrumentality enforcement much clip to respond.

"Even those other fewer seconds tin matter," Kelly said.

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Karen Haas, acting curator of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum successful Boston, during a quality league extracurricular the depository to amusement photos of the stolen $300 cardinal successful artwork taken successful an aboriginal greeting robbery. (Tom Herde/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Kelly besides noted that museums tin beryllium particularly susceptible aft hours, erstwhile buildings are bare and information measures are enactment to the test. He said adjacent basic, low-cost upgrades to surveillance and carnal information tin marque a important difference, adding that with today’s technology, it is progressively hard for criminals to debar leaving a trail.

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Despite the bold quality of these thefts, Kelly says the biggest situation for criminals often comes aft they permission the museum.

"The astir hard happening of each is monetizing it," Kelly said.

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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum conservators reconstruct bare frames successful beforehand of the 35th day of 13 artworks being stolen from the depository successful a brazen heist. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe)

Contrary to fashionable belief, Kelly said that determination is small request for well-known stolen masterpieces. Advances successful technology, including the quality to instantly place artwork done representation searches, person made it progressively hard to merchantability stolen pieces, helium added. 

"There is nary existent market," Kelly said. "Over time, it becomes a liability alternatively than an asset."

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That world tin permission thieves stuck with artwork they cannot easy move, sometimes starring to pieces being abandoned oregon softly returned.

Law enforcement, meanwhile, has much tools than ever to way suspects. Surveillance cameras, licence sheet readers and different technologies marque it hard for criminals to debar leaving a trail.

"With the magnitude of surveillance today, it’s precise hard not to beryllium captured somewhere," Kelly said.

Still, helium cautioned that these types of crimes proceed to hap each year, often targeting museums astir the world.

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And portion the latest heist took spot overseas, the informing for American institutions is clear.

The aforesaid factors that marque museums accessible and appealing to the nationalist tin besides marque them charismatic targets for criminals—underscoring the value of staying vigilant and continuously improving information measures.

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Beyond the fiscal loss, Kelly said the stakes are overmuch higher.

"These works correspond our shared taste heritage," helium said. "When they’re stolen, we each lose."