A limited-edition Banksy print worth £270,000 ($365K USD) vanished from a central London gallery in a daring heist that took a total of 36 seconds. The BBC reports that it was efficient and rather polite, as the thieves even apologized for taking it on their way out.
It all went down just after 11 PM on September 8, 2024, when 48-year-old Larry Fraser, who pled guilty to burglary, smashed through the front glass of Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia. He walked in, helped himself to a print from Banksy’s Girl with Balloon series, number 72 of a 150-print run, created in 2004.
He then casually waltzed out. CCTV footage confirmed that the break-in and getaway took less time than microwaving a bag of popcorn.
Thieves Snatched a $365K Banksy in Just 36 Seconds
Fraser pleaded guilty to burglary, and now the spotlight shifts to 54-year-old James Love, who, according to prosecutors, may have helped choreograph this art heist speed run. Love allegedly coordinated with Fraser throughout the day and even chauffeured the stolen piece to a hideout spot, a nearby building, wherein the story gets even stranger.
Sukhvinder Singh was a night watchman. He got shoved aside by two men who barged into the property. Moments earlier, Singh had noticed a mysterious new painting in a bathroom that wasn’t there before. It featured what he described as a “doll” that was “flying something like a kite.”
He heard some noise from the other side of the bathroom door. Singh opened it to find two men, one of whom repeatedly said, “Sorry, sorry, brother, sorry, sorry,” apologizing for the robbery he was committing. The duo beelined to the bathroom, retrieved the artwork, and left almost as soon as it began.
Gallery owner James Ryan confirmed the stolen work belonged to a private collector and had been part of a curated display of 13 original Banksys. Love’s trial continues, as he denies having any involvement.
The artwork’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
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