This incident, dubbed the largest library heist in post-World War II history, was first discovered late last year and has been under investigation since November.
The stolen books, primarily printed in Cyrillic script in the first half of the 19th century and originating from present-day Russia, are believed to have been targeted for their high value and rarity. According to RMF FM, a private Polish news outlet, the theft was meticulously planned and executed, possibly catering to specific demands from auction houses and antiquarian bookstores in the Russian market.
Anna Wołodko, the former director of the Warsaw University Library (BUW), was dismissed following the revelation of the theft. Her successor, Jolanta Talbierska, in a statement to RMF FM journalist Krzysztof Zasada, described the theft as "the biggest robbery in our library since World War II."
Investigators, engaging in what has now become an international probe, have identified the thefts as the work of an international criminal gang. The books, housed in the library's reading room, were systematically replaced with dummies. The culprits, a pair of individuals aged 20-21, used library cards issued under Scandinavian-sounding names to access the valuable prints.
RMF FM reported that the investigation has taken a significant turn with the apprehension of a group member in Latvia, with the arrest being part of a broader investigation encompassing other former Eastern Bloc countries. Efforts to trace and recover the stolen items are ongoing, with the Warsaw prosecutor's office examining surveillance footage and library lending records to identify and apprehend other suspects involved.
Source: RMF FM, PAP
