The number of artefacts stolen from the British Museum in London is “nearly 2,000”, far more than first thought, and the total value of artworks missing from the institution’s collections is “several million pounds”, the press reported on Tuesday. Britain, quoted by DPA and Agerpres.

Last week, the British Museum cited a “highly unusual” incident, announcing that several items from its collections were “missing, stolen or damaged” and that several of its staff, an unspecified number, had been made redundant.

A London museum has filed a lawsuit against one person while British police investigate, but no arrests have yet been made.

Last week, the British Museum did not say how many artefacts were stolen, nor did it specify the missing items, saying only that they were “small pieces” including “gold and precious stone jewelery or semi-precious stones and glass dating between the 15th century and AD and 19th century BC”.

British experts now believe the number of stolen artefacts is “well in excess of 1,000” and could be “around 2,000” with an estimated value of “several million pounds”, the Daily Telegraph reports.

How thefts from the British Museum were possible

According to the London museum, the artefacts have not been on public display recently and have been stored in a warehouse used mainly for scientific and academic activities.

It seems “increasingly likely” that the museum will never know exactly which items were stolen because of “some gaps in its inventory,” the same British newspaper wrote. An independent investigation into security systems has been launched, and the Economic Crimes Unit of the Metropolitan Police is also investigating the disappearance of the art objects.

A source told the Daily Telegraph that directors of the prestigious museum had handled the case “negligently and incompetently” and evidence given to them in the past had been ignored.

An antiquities expert is reported to have informed the museum three years ago that some items from its collections were being offered for sale on eBay, including an ancient Roman artefact valued by art dealers at £25,000-50,000 (32,000-64,000 dollars), which was offered at a price of only 40 pounds ($51).

The independent inquiry will be led by former Museum of London administrator Sir Nigel Boardman and Lucy D’Orsay, chief constable of the British Transport Police, who will launch a “vigorous” program to recover the stolen items.

Representatives of the British Museum declined to comment on the matter, as the police investigation is still ongoing.