British Museum Sues Ex-Curator for Alleged Theft of 1,800 Items

The museum has initiated legal action against Peter Higgs, accused of selling stolen artifacts online, and seeks the return of missing treasures.

The British Museum is suing former curator Peter Higgs, alleging he stole and sold over 1,800 items from its collection.
Higgs, who was sacked in 2023 for gross misconduct, denies the allegations and intends to dispute the museum's legal claim.
A London court has ordered Higgs to return any items still in his possession and to disclose his eBay and PayPal records.
The museum has so far recovered 356 of the missing items and is undergoing efforts to prevent future thefts.
The scandal has led to the resignation of the museum's director and deputy director, and sparked calls for tighter security and full digitization of the collection.