Van used in Messina museum theft found

Investigators have made progress in the investigation regarding the theft that occurred on Ferragosto at the Accascina Museum in Messina, where four works by Antonello da Messina were stolen. The van used by the thieves for their escape has been found and seized, identified through surveillance camera footage in the area, although some zones were not covered.

According to sources, investigators are now searching for an accomplice who allegedly disabled the museum alarm without contacting the emergency number 112. To that end, police are reviewing the behaviors of the guards and other employees present during the incident.

Investigations indicate that the theft took place in a very short time frame, estimated at just two minutes, during the passage of the Vara. Investigators do not rule out the possibility of involvement by a foreign gang, given the recorded modus operandi and the efficiency of the heist.

Currently, two of the stolen works are reported abandoned, while four remain missing. Search and information-gathering activities continue, with particular attention to any surveillance videos that may provide additional leads for the case.