Police renew da Vinci theft plea
Detectives have renewed an appeal for information about the theft of a Leonardo da Vinci painting from a castle exactly four years ago.
Madonna with the Yarnwinder was stolen from Drumlanrig Castle, near Thornhill, in Dumfries and Galloway in 2003.
Detectives said they were still determined to find the painting, which belonged to the Duke of Buccleuch.
However, they admitted that they were no closer to catching the culprits, with no current lines of inquiry.
The artwork, which was painted between 1500 and 1510, had been in the Buccleuch family for almost 200 years.
Valued at about £30m, it depicts the Madonna with the infant Jesus holding a cross-shaped yarnwinder.
The painting was stolen in a raid involving four men. Two of them posed as visitors before overpowering a female staff member.
All four then made their escape in a white Volkswagen Golf, which was found abandoned nearby.
The painting was added to the FBI's list of the 10 most wanted pieces of stolen artwork in 2005.
A substantial award is available for information which leads to the recovery of the work.
Det Ch Insp Michael Dalgleish, of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, said: "Police in the region are still determined to recover the painting and bring those responsible for this crime to justice.
"However, we concede that there are currently no lines of investigation open to us.
"Consequently, we are renewing our appeal for information and are urging anybody who may have knowledge of the crime or whereabouts of the stolen painting to come forward."
Detectives have renewed an appeal for information about the theft of a Leonardo da Vinci painting from a castle exactly four years ago.
Madonna with the Yarnwinder was stolen from Drumlanrig Castle, near Thornhill, in Dumfries and Galloway in 2003.
Detectives said they were still determined to find the painting, which belonged to the Duke of Buccleuch.
However, they admitted that they were no closer to catching the culprits, with no current lines of inquiry.
The artwork, which was painted between 1500 and 1510, had been in the Buccleuch family for almost 200 years.
Valued at about £30m, it depicts the Madonna with the infant Jesus holding a cross-shaped yarnwinder.
The painting was stolen in a raid involving four men. Two of them posed as visitors before overpowering a female staff member.
All four then made their escape in a white Volkswagen Golf, which was found abandoned nearby.
The painting was added to the FBI's list of the 10 most wanted pieces of stolen artwork in 2005.
A substantial award is available for information which leads to the recovery of the work.
Det Ch Insp Michael Dalgleish, of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, said: "Police in the region are still determined to recover the painting and bring those responsible for this crime to justice.
"However, we concede that there are currently no lines of investigation open to us.
"Consequently, we are renewing our appeal for information and are urging anybody who may have knowledge of the crime or whereabouts of the stolen painting to come forward."
Art Hostage comments:
Currently the Da Vinci is being held hostage by elements of Organised Crime.
The Duke of Buccleuch has purchased legal title back from the insurers, earlier this year for an undisclosed sum.
The Da Vinci was insured for the full amount, not for just £3 million as reported in the media.
The Duke of Buccleuch has a residue of £10 million plus to spend trying to recover the Da Vinci.
The Usual suspects of ex-Police art detectives have all been beating a path to the door of the Duke of Buccleuch with false promises of recovery as a lure to fund their expensive junkets.
The Duke of Buccleuch would gladly pay a reward of several million pounds to the person who reunites him with the Da Vinci.
Police however, will not issue a letter of absolute discretion, "Comfort Letter" before recovery and will refuse post-recovery.
Therefore, any payments made by the Duke of Buccleuch will be unlawful.
This unlawful act of payment is being used to lure intermediaries into a false sense of security.
Unfortunately Dick Ellis jumped the gun with his audacious recovery of the Bonnard etc and exposed the truth behind recovering stolen art lawfully.
Every negotiation about the Da Vinci is preceded by referring to the Dick Ellis Bonnard recovery and lawful contracts are being demanded under guidance of a lawyer before any more recoveries are made.
Read the account of how Dick Ellis recovered all three pictures, like taking candy from a baby, below:
Detective Sergeant Vernon Rapley current head of the diminishing Scotland Yard Art and Antiques Squad said, and I quote
"I would rather the Da Vinci not be recovered than see any reward money paid, if the Da Vinci is recovered without arrests £50 pound is all I would allow to be paid"
Mark Dalrymple, the Art Loss adjuster, who was assigned to the Da Vinci case when legal title was owned by the insurers, was purposely vague when he offered a reward, £100,000, £200,000, he even said £1 million was available as reward, when he spoke at an Art Crime conference in London.
He did concede his hands were tied and could not, under any circumstances, pay a reward without a letter of absolute discretion, comfort letter. from Police.
Anyone who pays a reward unlawfully, including the Duke of Buccleuch, leaves themselves open to prosecution and blackmail, even if this unlawful payment results in the recovery of the Da Vinci.
Lord Rothschild tried going down the direct avenue to recover his stolen gold boxes, see back-story below:
The Rothschild boxes remain outstanding and Lord Rothschild was told he faced prosecution if he privately recovered his gold boxes and paid a reward.
Perverse as it may seem, the current handlers of the Da Vinci have floated the idea within Underworld circles of stealing another high profile artwork worth millions to hold whilst the Da Vinci deal is arranged.
If the Underworld gets stung on the Da Vinci they still retain the second high value artwork.
If the Da Vinci deal goes as according to the deal, then the second artwork is returned for free.
This constant Cat and Mouse game will only be broken when a reward of several million is signed into a legal agreement between the informant, his lawyer and Police, that enables the informant to provide the necessary information knowing the reward will be paid lawfully and under a binding legal contract.
If offered then I am sure Underworld figures would provide information leading to the recovery of the Da Vinci and even a few arrests for good measure.
However, Police would try and demand the original thieves and all the handlers, rather than some "Patsy" handler, who's excuse will be they were only looking after it for a friend, or did not know how it got there, or someone saying they bought the Da Vinci at a Car Trunk/Boot sale.
So, all the time it is only ex-Police officers who can claim rewards, informants will be reluctant to offer their services.
Ex-Police officers will still try and offer false promises of reward to gullible informants hoping for a break whilst still billing the victims for junkets.
Every so often someone will fall for the ruse and a stolen artwork will surface, the informant will be told to "Move along, nothing more to see here"
The really high profile stolen artworks will remain out of reach, unless political forces allow a special, private, government authorised recovery, like that of the Turners, belonging to the Tate Gallery.
This was clear "buy back" sanctioned by the powers that be.
All investigations into how the Tate recovered their stolen paintings have been suppressed by the establishment and media whores.
Make no mistake, any reward money that is paid will go to someone who has knowledge of the crime and subsequent handling, be that an ex-police officer investigating, an informant using inside information, and of course those handling and their friends.
It is at what level payments can be made and be acceptable is the question.
At the moment it stops at ex-police officers.
I do fear however, that any successful attempt to sting the people holding the Da Vinci may prove fatal and only act as a further incentive to commit further, more violent art crimes against an ever vulnerable wealthy art collecting community.
A dilemma for authorities that helps explain the lukewarm plea for help in recovering the Da Vinci, 4 years on.
The Da Vinci has become a Pawn and the paradox is, by not recovering the Da Vinci in a sting operation, authorities are preventing a backlash.
To be continued................................
