Violent museum heists on the rise across Europe: Europol

Museum heists across Europe are growing more violent, more targeted and increasingly tied to criminals who move between illicit markets, Europol said in a report Monday.

The EU's law enforcement agency said thefts from museums, long seen as a largely nonviolent form of organized crime, are showing "a shift in both methods and targeting."

Thieves increasingly use "sledgehammers, explosives and firearms to breach premises and intimidate staff," while targeting precious metals, gemstones and culturally significant artifacts, the agency said.

Europol described the trend as "an alarming shift toward aggressive methods, targeted attacks, and the involvement of cross-market criminal networks."

Precious metals such as gold and silver have become especially attractive because they can be melted down, erasing much of the trail for investigators, Europol said.

Jewelry set with precious stones can also be broken apart and resold, the agency said.

Both categories appeal to criminal networks because of their "visibility, accessibility" and the perception that museum security is weaker than protection at jewelry stores, according to the report.

Europol also warned that "new criminal actors" are entering the field, including ad hoc groups recruited through social media.

Some may be "opportunists from other criminal sectors," drawn by what they see as a low-risk, high-profit crime, the agency said.

The report said the pattern differs sharply from traditional networks trafficking cultural goods, which typically operate as a tight core group organized around a single leader.