According to Nick Tolson, a former
police officer, paintings, china, porcelain and silverware are popular.
About 20 brass church lecterns are stolen each year in England and Wales
and most find its way to Germany – especially the eagle-shaped ones.
Julian Cox, who works for the magazine Trace, which helps
reunite recovered stolen items with owners, added: “Ten years ago we were
dealing with a small amount of criminal elements who had sufficient
knowledge of fine art to commit fine
art crime. It was problematic but largely containable. But now stolen
antiques are a commodity which drug dealers use to launder money.”
In
one of the latest scams, a gang of highly-convincing confidence tricksters
posed as buyers for a bogus Italian count to steal millions of pounds worth
of paintings, prints and antiques from art dealers in London, New York,
Paris and Amsterdam. Several auction houses have agreed to fund the Art
Loss Register, a body that regularly scans sale catalogues for stolen
items. In close co-operation with Interpol the register will include
jewellery, silverware, paintings, candlesticks, region icons, furniture and
statues. This new war is on now and most likely will never be called off.
Now answer these
questions.
1
Can you explain why Interpol compiled a large
database of stolen art treasures?
2
What examples are given in the text to show the
disadvantages of free trade?
3
Why do you think drug dealers are interested in
antiques and paintings?
4
What is the main goal of Trace magazine and how can this be achieved?
5
How could one gang steal so many valuable items
in cities around the world?
What is a
confidence trickster’s secret recipe?
6
What is the benefit of using the services of Art
Loss Register?
7
What do these numbers in the text refer to: 20,
30, 177, 14,000,
17,000 ?
