A man who allegedly fled to an Australian island with a priceless wooden cat has been charged over the theft of ancient Egyptian artefacts dating back to the time of the pyramids.
The 52-year-old pulled off the heist after smashing his way into the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, north of Brisbane, early on Friday morning, Queensland Police say.
He is accused of stealing an array of ancient items 3000 to 5000 years old, including a ring, a necklace, a tapestry collar, a mask and the cat sculpture.
They’ve since been recovered with only minor damage, although some could be beyond repair, the museum said.
Detective Inspector David Harbison said the artworks were priceless, and investigators initially thought an organised crime gang was behind the theft.
“(But) it became apparent fairly quickly that this wasn’t an organised offence. It was actually quite amateurish,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Police will allege the man smashed a window to gain access to the museum about 3am before fleeing the scene with artefacts “worth a lot of money”.
Officers were able to identify him using CCTV footage and his Toyota van was discovered parked at the Redland Bay ferry terminal on Saturday.
“We located most of the artefacts in relatively undamaged condition, which was exceptional – fairly haphazardly thrown in the car,” Det Insp Harbison said.
The man was traced to nearby Russell Island in Moreton Bay, about 60km southeast of Brisbane.
“He was found with the cat sculpture on his person, in a bag, in a knapsack, so that sort of shows you the regard he had for the actual items,” Det Insp Harbison said.
It is not believed the man alleged to have stolen the items planned the break-in or intended to sell the artefacts for financial gain.
Det Insp Harbison said it appeared he had been living in his van and was travelling down the coast.
“This presented as an opportunistic matter for him,” he said.
“It’s very pleasing to get these artefacts back.”
The man is also accused of trespass and assault offences in the Noosa area before he allegedly broke into the museum.
He has been charged with enter premises and commit an indictable offence by break, and three counts of wilful damage over the museum incident.
Museum manager Nina Pye said she was relieved the artefacts were found in “relatively good condition and not overly damaged”.
The items were used in Egyptian burial customs and date back to the “golden age” of the pyramids.
It could take some time before they are back on display, however, as they will need to undergo conservation.
The man is scheduled to appear in the Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday.
