Publication Date:
Sun, 2011-08-28 03:48
The foiled heist at the Natural History Museum at Tring follows
a string of rhino horn thefts in Britain and continental Europe. The horns are
revered in parts of Asia for their purported aphrodisiac and medicinal value
and are often ground into powder.
The museum, located 48 km northwest of London in the county
of Hertfordshire, was closed Saturday while police investigated the early
morning crime. Displays are being repaired and the museum will reopen Sunday.
Museum officials say the replicas have no financial value.
They estimate the real horns would have been worth about 240,000 pounds
($391,000) in the illegal trade.
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