Suspect arrested in alleged theft of Banksy cease signal

Information

By Isabel Keane

A person suspected of stealing a Banksy piece that includes three navy drones on a cease signal — lower than an hour after the elusive artist unveiled it — was arrested Saturday in London.

A person in his 20s was taken into custody on suspicion of theft and prison injury, the Metropolitan police mentioned.

He’ll stay in custody as investigations are ongoing, authorities added.

The unidentified man and a cohort have been pictured Friday afternoon utilizing bolt cutters to yank the anti-war art work off a site visitors put up within the Peckham district lower than an hour after the piece had been uncovered.

One of many males was noticed balancing on prime of a rented bike so he might attain the signal, whereas the opposite man held the bike nonetheless for him.

The person who minimize the signal free shortly ran off with it in his hand as shocked onlookers shouted on the pair to cease.

The incident unfolded simply after the nameless graffiti artist disclosed the situation of his newest work with photographs of it on Instagram round 12.30 pm native time.

A witness, solely recognized as Alex, advised the Evening Standard there have been a handful of individuals “type of admiring it and taking footage” when the thieves approached.

“This man comes up and grabs it, we watched in awe as he bashed it. He put the Lime bike beneath the signal, stood on the Lime bike and tried to hit the signal, he hit it along with his palms and it wasn’t going anyplace,” he mentioned.

“He fell off the Lime bike at one level. He disappeared and went away and about two minutes later he reappeared with bolt cutters and simply type of tried and tried and tried whereas everybody was watching.”

The onlooker added: “He ripped it off and ran throughout the street and ran away. He mentioned nothing. He didn’t appear to care that a lot concerning the artwork itself.”

Jasmine Ali, deputy chief of the native borough council, referred to as for the piece to be returned.

“It shouldn’t have been eliminated and we’d prefer it again so everybody locally can get pleasure from Banksy’s good work,” Ali mentioned.

Social media customers speculated that the purple STOP signal art work was tied to the Israel-Palestine battle amid requires a ceasefire in Gaza.

The cease signal has since been changed.

Banksy’s artwork work can command prime greenback on the resale market, with a semi-shredded piece fetching some $25 million at public sale in 2018.

With Submit wires.