Police searching for thieves who made off with $160,000 worth of accordions
A gang stole more than 40 Italian-made accordions valued at nearly $160,000 in a targeted raid, police said.
The thieves selected only top-of-the line Italian-made models at the family-owned Piano and Accordion Shop in Berkshire, according to The Guardian.
“They left all the cheaper accordions here,” Ben Lovell, whose grandfather founded the shop, told The Guardian. “They knew what they were doing.”
Lovell believes the instruments were taken to be sold on the black market in Europe, where they are more widely played than in England.
“In this country, accordions aren’t recognized as a musical instrument in schools, but in mainland Europe, they are,” Lovell said. “The demand for these items will certainly be higher in those countries.”
Thames police released surveillance video that shows a man they would like to interview in connection with the August theft.
The shop compiled and posted a complete list of the stolen merchandise.
