ATHENS – A series of thefts at the British Museum, in which stolen antiquities were subsequently listed for sale online, has prompted Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni to intensify her call for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, which have been housed there for 200 years.

The security concerns arising from these thefts “further validate our country’s longstanding and rightful demand for their definitive return,” she remarked to the Greek newspaper, To Vima. She reiterated her stance on the marbles being returned to their homeland.

The museum maintains that they legally acquired the marbles from the Scottish diplomat, Lord Elgin. He, they claim, had received permission from the Ottoman Empire, which was ruling at the time, although they did not truly have rightful ownership.

“The loss, theft, or deterioration of items from a museum’s collection is deeply troubling and indeed sorrowful,” commented Mendoni. “When such incidents occur internally, it not only brings into question moral and criminal accountability but also casts doubt on the integrity of the museum’s organizational structure,” she further elaborated.

Mendoni emphasized that the “Ministry of Culture is closely monitoring the unfolding situation,” even though the museum has been sparse with details and appears to be minimizing the severity of the events.

ArtNet covered the story, noting the museum’s recent termination of an employee after discovering several valuable items were missing from its collection. Among the lost items are pieces of gold jewelry, semi-precious gemstones, and glass artifacts that date back from the 15th century B.C. to the 19th century.

The employee was not initially named, but subsequent media reports identified him as Peter John Higgs, a Senior Curator of Greek and Roman Art. As of now, Higgs has not faced legal consequences for what is being described as a vast theft of antiquities.

Having been employed at the museum for 30 years, Higgs is believed to have stolen artifacts over an extended period. It remains puzzling how these thefts went unnoticed, especially since many of the stolen items were listed for sale on eBay at a fraction of their true worth.

In one notable instance, a piece of Roman jewelry made of onyx, valued by experts at up to $63,700, was sold online in 2016 for a mere $50, according to the British newspaper, The Telegraph.

The same newspaper later cited an anonymous source who claimed that up to 2,000 pieces had been removed from the museum. Questions have arisen regarding how such extensive theft could go unnoticed and about the security measures in place at the museum.

This revelation followed an announcement from the museum’s director, Hartwig Fischer, a German who had previously described the taking of the Parthenon Marbles as a “creative act.” Fischer shared his intention to resign in 2024. Both Fischer and the museum have vehemently denied that his resignation is related to the thefts.

George Osborne, the museum’s Chairman, spoke to the BBC, stating, “Hartwig has been a highly esteemed director. Both Hartwig and I have been unequivocal that his decision to leave was not tied to this unfortunate incident.”