THE HAGUE, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The National Library of the Netherlands (KB) in The Hague is appealing to the public for help in locating six rare books by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin that were stolen from its collection in 2023, the KB announced on Friday.
The books were stolen in the spring of 2023, but the KB withheld the news while an investigation was ongoing.
Now that the police investigation has stalled, both the KB and the authorities are turning to the public for help, hoping that online sleuths can provide a breakthrough.
Last year, European investigative agencies arrested at least four suspects believed to be members of a gang that specializes in stealing rare and valuable books.
"Now that our stolen titles have not been recovered despite the arrest of the suspected perpetrators," they hope that with the announcement of the theft, new clues may surface that will help recover the books, the KB said.
The motive for the theft is yet unclear. ■