Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Media: AFP
Byline: N/A
Date: 14 September 2006
LONDON, Sept 14, 2006 (AFP) - A valuable Iraqi manuscript dating from the
11th century which was stolen from a library has been returned by British
police, officers said Thursday.
The manuscript, worth 250,000 pounds (370,781 euros, 471,988 dollars) was
written by Arab physician Ar-Razi and was stolen from the AwQaf library in
Mosul, northern Iraq, in 1977.
It remained missing until 2003, when a man tried to sell it to a London
auction house and police were alerted.
The manuscript was handed over to Iraqi Ambassador Salah Al-Shaikhly by
Commander Sue Wilkinson of London's Metropolitan Police, along with an
ancient Aramaic incantation bowl.
The bowl, worth up to 2,000 pounds, was found by officers on sale at a
London antiques market and is believed to have been looted in Iraq.
"We continue to run overt and covert operations to ensure that London is a
hard target for criminals to trade in and we are pleased that we have been
able to recover and return these important artefacts to the Iraqi
authorities," Detective Sergeant Vernon Rapley, head of the Metropolitan
Police arts and antiques unit, said.
Byline: N/A
Date: 14 September 2006
LONDON, Sept 14, 2006 (AFP) - A valuable Iraqi manuscript dating from the
11th century which was stolen from a library has been returned by British
police, officers said Thursday.
The manuscript, worth 250,000 pounds (370,781 euros, 471,988 dollars) was
written by Arab physician Ar-Razi and was stolen from the AwQaf library in
Mosul, northern Iraq, in 1977.
It remained missing until 2003, when a man tried to sell it to a London
auction house and police were alerted.
The manuscript was handed over to Iraqi Ambassador Salah Al-Shaikhly by
Commander Sue Wilkinson of London's Metropolitan Police, along with an
ancient Aramaic incantation bowl.
The bowl, worth up to 2,000 pounds, was found by officers on sale at a
London antiques market and is believed to have been looted in Iraq.
"We continue to run overt and covert operations to ensure that London is a
hard target for criminals to trade in and we are pleased that we have been
able to recover and return these important artefacts to the Iraqi
authorities," Detective Sergeant Vernon Rapley, head of the Metropolitan
Police arts and antiques unit, said.