Antiquities dealer who exposed thefts at British Museum dies aged 61
Ittai Gradel, an antiquities dealer who exposed thefts at the British Museum, has died at the age of 61. He alerted authorities after purchasing stolen artifacts online and received a medal from the museum shortly before his death. Gradel's efforts led to the discovery of around 2,000 missing or damaged items from the museum's collection.
- ▪Ittai Gradel died of renal cancer shortly after receiving a medal from the British Museum for his contributions.
- ▪He reported the theft of hundreds of artifacts from the museum, leading to an ongoing police investigation.
- ▪Gradel had purchased stolen items online and accused a senior curator of theft.
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Ittai Gradel had tried to persuade the museum to investigate the thefts in 2021, when he first suspected gems from the museum’s collections were being sold online. Photograph: Matthew James HarrisonView image in fullscreenIttai Gradel had tried to persuade the museum to investigate the thefts in 2021, when he first suspected gems from the museum’s collections were being sold online. Photograph: Matthew James HarrisonBritish MuseumAntiquities dealer who exposed thefts at British Museum dies aged 61Ittai Gradel died of renal cancer days after museum awarded him medal for ‘very significant contribution’Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondentTue 28 Apr 2026 09.07 EDTFirst published on Tue 28 Apr 2026 08.12 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThe academic turned antiquities dealer who…
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