Some Canadian museum heist artifacts found

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 11 (UPI) -- Three arrests have been made and all but two pieces of Canadian Indian art stolen from a Vancouver museum last month have been recovered, police say.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police told reporters raids Sunday in two suburban areas led to the arrests and artifacts recovery after the May 23 theft from the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology.

Inspector Brendan Fitzpatrick said the suspected thieves he wouldn't identify are not part of an international ring, but rather "unsophisticated " and "well-known career criminals" from the area.

The theft occurred while a lone security guard was outside on a cigarette break, the Vancouver Sun said.

Three pieces of gold Mexican jewelry stolen were recovered, but had been dismantled, Fitzpatrick said. More pressing to the museum was the recovery of 10 gold works by Haida Indian artist Bill Reid, whose work appears on Canadian currency. They were intact, although two more of his works are still missing, the report said.