Gold treasure looted in 'super-fast' raid on Spanish museum
Thieves executed a " super-fast" raid on Thursday to steal from Spain's historic Bronze Age Treasure of Villena in the latest high-profile European museum heist.
A meticulously planned early-morning museum raid in the eastern Spanish town of Villena targeted one of Europe's most significant Bronze Age gold collections. The break-in at the Museum of Villena lasted just four minutes and led to the potential disappearance of the celebrated Treasure of Villena. Though believed to be the target, authorities have yet to confirm which pieces were taken or if the entire collection has vanished.
The thieves seem to have used a diversion to draw police away before carrying out the heist. The museum's own security system was triggered just minutes after the raid began, indicating a carefully planned and executed operation by experienced criminals. The Treasure of Villena, discovered in 1963, comprises 59 objects, including 11 bowls, 28 bracelets, and three bottles, weighing around 10 kg in gold alone.
Its objects include iron pieces of meteoritic origin, making the collection invaluable both archaeologically and historically. The theft is the third major museum robbery in Spain within four months, raising concerns about the security of historical collections in Spanish museums.
Written by urgent.news from Spain in English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
