Two individuals have been charged following the theft of Banksy's 'Girl with Balloon' from a London art gallery.
Artwork worth $355,000 is retrieved by the Metropolitan Police.
Two men have been arrested and charged with burglary in London after stealing the famous Banksy artwork "Girl with Balloon" during a smash-and-grab raid at a gallery.
Two men, Larry Fraser and James Love, were still in police custody on Friday after the Grove Gallery incident that occurred around 11 p.m. on Sunday night, as per the Metropolitan Police.
The only item stolen from the gallery was a Banksy painting titled 'Girl with Balloon'. It has been recovered and will be returned to the gallery, according to police.
A masked man broke a glass door and stole a picture from a wall, which is valued at $355,000 in court documents, according to The Associated Press.
The picture, originally stenciled on a wall in East London, has become one of Banksy's best-known images due to its endless reproductions.
In 2018, a work of art partially self-destructed during an auction at Sotheby's, passing through a hidden shredder just after it was purchased for $1.4 million. The self-shredded work, retitled "Love is in the Bin," sold for $25.4 million in 2021, according to the AP.
One of the world's best-known artists, Bansky, started his career by spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has never revealed his full identity.
On Thursday, both suspects were present in court and will return for another hearing on October 9th, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
world
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