A £2.5million Ming Dynasty vase stolen last year in a sophisticated burglary has been recovered by Scotland Yard.
The antique, dating back to 15th-century China, was taken from a collection in Switzerland by a London-based organised crime group in June 2019.
Specialist Crime officers arrested two men, 42 and 44, in Mayfair on suspicion of handling stolen goods on Thursday, October 15. They have since been bailed to a date in mid-November.
Many Chinese antiquities are stolen from museums around the world to order.
Billionaires are prepared to pay up to £80million for porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Met’s ongoing investigation into the burglary is being conducted jointly with the Swiss authorities.
Detective Chief Inspector Jimi Tele, of Specialist Crime North, said: “This is a significant step forward in what remains a complex investigation into a high-value burglary.
“Whilst this vase is valued at around £2.5million, it is a one-off and unique and therefore has immeasurable cultural value. It will be repatriated in due course.
“The organised crime group at the centre of this investigation is also suspected of involvement in serious violence, so to arrest two suspected members safely is excellent.
“Bearing down on serious crime and violence remains the Met’s top priority, and we will continue to disrupt the workings of organised crime whose members think they are out of reach of the law.”
