Thieves steal almost the entire Villena Treasure, a Bronze Age gold and metal artefact hoard, from a museum in Villena, eastern Spain, in a rapid four-minute raid. Multiple outlets describe the group entering shortly after breaking through a window and glass, and leaving with items that include gold vessels and jewellery, with police indicating several people and possibly vehicles were involved.
Several reports say the thieves also use a diversion. Euronews and France 24 report that an alarm is triggered at or near a nearby sports centre or elsewhere on the outskirts, distracting security forces. DW similarly describes the operation as highly professional, and notes the raid happens before the museum opens. The New York Times’ arts coverage adds broader context, saying experts view the heist as similar to other increasingly violent, fast robberies in Europe and possibly inspired by the previous year’s Louvre break-in.
Overall accounts converge on the speed, the museum location, and the diversion, while differing on details such as the exact diversion target and the reported number of artefacts (Euronews cites 59).
