166 artefacts missing from Macedonian museum

A total of 166 artefacts are missing from the Museum of Macedonia, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday. This was stated by the final report that the police got from the Macedonian Ministry of Culture. The investigation started two weeks ago when museum employees noticed that a dozens of artefacts are missing and called the police. "We finally got the inventory list and it shows that the number of missing artefacts is a lot higher than it was at first assumed," Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski said. According to the Interior Ministry, the police are trying to find out who and when took the artefacts out of the museum because there were no signs of breaking and entering spotted. At the moment the museum employees have been questioned and some of them might be taken to a polygraph test. At first it was reported that two custodians called the police when they noticed that about 40 artefacts from Marvinci archeological site were missing. Later the same was done by three other custodians for 20 artefacts before the number increased to 166. The missing artefacts from late Antique period include golden earrings, rings, bracelets, silver needle and other inestimable items.