Rare books stolen from London, including works by Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton, found in NE Romania

A house search carried out by Romanian police officers and prosecutors in Neamt county, in northeastern Romania, led to the discovery of old books and manuscripts reported stolen from Feltham, in London, in 2017.

The books, which include works from the 17th century by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton, and the 18th-century Spanish painter Francisco Goya, are worth more than GBP 2.5 million. These works are of international importance and are irreplaceable, the Romanian Police said in a press release.

Following the execution of a European investigation order, Romanian Police officers and prosecutors from the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) conducted a house search in Neamt county on September 16. That’s when they found several heritage objects, namely old books and manuscripts, which the policemen believe had been stolen from the UK between 2017 and 2019.

“The heritage objects had been stolen in January 2017 in Feltham, London. The books, which include 17th-century works by Italian astronomer Galileo and Isaac Newton, as well as 18th-century works by Spanish painter Francisco Goya, have a combined value of more than GBP 2.5 million,” the Romanian Police’s press release reads.

The suspects linked to this theft are currently in pre-trial detention in the UK.

The activities were carried out within a joint investigation team (JIT BROOKS), set up between the judicial authorities of Romania, the UK, and Italy, with the support of Eurojust and Europol.

On June 25, 2019, police officers and DIICOT prosecutors carried out 28 searches in Romania, as part of an action that also took place simultaneously in the UK and Italy, to dismantle a crime group. The searches at that time took place in the counties of Iasi, Neamt, Suceava, Brasov, Bihor, and Bucharest. Members of this crime group were suspects in investigations related to thefts from companies and warehouses located mainly in the UK, but also other EU countries.

The Police discovered several goods and documents at that time. Four people were detained by the Romanian Police, while three were held based on European arrest warrants issued on their names.

Within the joint investigation team, similar actions were carried out in Italy and the UK.

(Photo source: Diicot.ro)