Even if you’re someone who respects the law, you’re likely intrigued by the world of thieves and robbers. It’s a universe that doesn’t adhere to the conventional norms of civil society. Ownership isn’t dictated by legal rights but by raw power and the capability to seize what you want. Unsurprisingly, this scenario makes for riveting drama, a fact not lost on Hollywood. Despite the fact that thefts happen regularly and most items never resurface, this list is about astonishing heists. It contains tales of items that were pilfered, recovered, re-stolen, and then found again. These fascinating stories revolve around the objects that were stolen and the people who originally owned them, took them, or discovered them once again. Be it a law enforcement agency or a band of criminals, you’re likely to be taken aback by these tales. Ranging from the Mona Lisa to Charlie Chaplin, some of these anecdotes are amusing while others are utterly shocking. However, every story is incredibly surprising and you’ll undoubtedly gain some knowledge by the end. Here are 25 engaging and astounding narratives about pilfered objects!
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Featured Image: Rob Pongsajapan via Flickr
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If you bought or rented a DVD recently you had to sat through an anti-piracy ad. It recently emerged that the music on the ad was actually pirated (Melchior Reitveldt vs Buma/Stemra music).
Source: abc.net.au, Image: wikipedia 24
While on a hunting expedition Theodore Roosevelt’s boat was stolen. In spite of freezing temperatures, Teddy and his friends built a raft, sailed down the river, and captured the thieves several days later.
Source: nps.gov, Image: wikipedia 23
Picasso’s The Weeping Woman was once stolen from a gallery in Australia with the ransom demanding more funding for the arts. The painting was later found in a train station but the thief was never caught.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 22
When Julian Altman died, he told his wife that the violin he had been playing for almost his whole life was actually a stolen Stradivarius violin that had been made in 1713.
Source: nytimes, Image: wikipedia 21
A .45 caliber handgun was stolen from President Taft by Carl Panzram and then used in several murders.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 20
After drugs and weapons, stolen artifacts is the most profitable sector of the black market.
Source: smithsonianmag.com, Image: wikipedia 19
There is a gang called "The Pink Panthers" that is known for their Hollywood style jewelry heists and according to Interpol they are responsible for the most audacious thefts in history. One criminologist even described them as "artists".
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 18
Malaysian authorities were confused by a spate of payphone thefts until they found out that local fisherman were using them to catch fish by emitting an attractive frequency through the phone.
Source: deseretnews.com, Image: wikipedia 17
In 2003, a 727 belonging to Florida-based Aerospace Sales and Leasing was stolen from an airfield in Angola and never seen again.
Source: airspacemag.com, Image: wikipedia 16
Mr Roger's car was once stolen but the thief returned it when he realized whose car he had stolen.
Source: cnn.com, Image: wikipedia 15
The CEO of LifeLock, an ID protection company, was so sure of his product that he made is social security number public. Todd Davis (the CEO) subsequently had his identity stolen 13 times and his company had to pay $12 million for false advertising.
Source: tomsguide.com, Image: wikipedia 14
Mexican General Santa Anna's leg was stolen by the 4th Infantry and is now on display in the Illinois State Military Museum. Although Mexico has requested its return, the museum refuses.
Source: roadsideamerica.com, Image: wikipedia 13
Because DNA evidence collected by the German police from the scene of a jewelry heist matched two twins - Hassan and Abbas O. (under German law their last name cannot be released), and both denied to stealing anything, they had to be released even though the DNA said that one of them almost certainly did it.
Source: time.com, Image: wikipedia 12
Mile marker 420 on Interstate 70 was replaced by officials in Colorado with a mile marker reading 419.99. This was done because the 420 mile marker was stolen so often.
Source: nydailynews.com 11
In the United States, stolen items and money earned from drug dealing are taxable.
Source: msn.com, Image: pixabay 10
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency there have been 18 incidents of highly enriched uranium or plutonium being stolen in the last decade.
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabay 9
In 1995, Shawn Nelson, a US Army veteran struggling with depression, stole a tank and drove it around downtown San Diego until police shot him.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 8
The largest bank heist in history happened when $1 billion was stolen from the Central Bank of Iraq...one day before the US started bombing.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 7
In 1978, thieves held the body of Charlie Chaplin for ransom but his widow refused to pay it because she said "Charlie would have found it ridiculous".
Source: bbc.co.uk, Image: wikipedia 6
The Guinness Book of World Records is famous for holding one record...it is the most stolen book from public libraries.
Source: news.dm, Image: wikipedia 5
In 1911, when the Mona Lisa was stolen, police arrested Pablo Picasso.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 4
Magic tricks are not covered by copyright law. Which means you can steal them...
Source: techdirt.com, Image: wikipedia 3
A security guard is paid to sit next a statue of John Lennon in Havana, Cuba. He is tasked with adding or removing Lennon's glasses according to the requests of tourists. This is to prevent people from stealing the glass (which happened a lot in the past).
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 2
In 2008, a beach in Jamaica disappeared overnight when nearly 500 truckloads of sand were stolen.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 1
In 1987, a small radioactive device was stolen from a hospital in Brazil. Unfortunately for the thieves (who didn't know it was radioactive) four people died and 200 were poisoned.
Source: toxipedia.com, Image: blazingfires13 via deviantart 
