A 52-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a break-in at the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology in Caboolture, Australia, where several ancient Egyptian artefacts were stolen. The theft occurred on a Friday morning, during which the suspect gained entry by breaking a window and took four objects, including a valuable mummy mask. Police were quick to respond and launched an investigation into the incident.

Initially, law enforcement suspected the involvement of organized crime in the theft, as such valuable artefacts are often targets for more sophisticated criminal enterprises. However, Detective Inspector David Harbison indicated that based on the circumstances surrounding the break-in, it was deemed to be a more unskilled and amateurish crime. The police effectively narrowed down their search to a person of interest and a vehicle linked to the crime soon after the theft was reported.

Following their investigation, police managed to track the vehicle to the Redland Bay ferry terminal, which helped lead to the arrest of the suspect and subsequent recovery of the stolen artefacts. The man is now set to face court in Cleveland on Monday, and the case highlights issues of museum security and the protection of cultural heritage artifacts.