British police launch hunt for stolen Stradivarius
LONDON. December 7. KAZINFORM British Transport Police have launched a public appeal for help in the search for a stolen 300-year-old Stradivarius violin worth $1.9 million. Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
The rare musical instrument was stolen on November 29 from a famous violin player when she stopped for a quick bite at a cafe in Euston station, central London, but police kept the news from public until this Monday.
"It is possible the instrument will be offered for sale within the antique or musical trade and we ask anyone who has any knowledge of the violin's whereabouts to come forward so it can be returned to its rightful owner," police said in a statement.
The violinist, who was identified by British media as 32-year-old Korean-born musical prodigy Min-Jin Kym, apparently left her violin case unattended for a moment while ordering food and panicked when she realized that it was gone.
Along with the 1696 violin made by Antonio Stradivari, the case contained a Peccatte bow, valued at about $100,000, and a bow made by the School of Bazin, worth over $8,000.