Stolen Moravian angel returned to Moravian church

A stolen 18th century baroque statue depicting an angel has been returned to the Church of St Nicholas in the Moravian town of Březová by the Czech Minister of Culture Alena Hanáková. The figure was stolen from the church nine years ago and ultimately found its way to Italy. It was there that authorities managed to recover it in the hands of an organised crime network following an investigation involving Interpol. The figure was handed by the Italian authorities to Hanáková during a trip to the country in May. 60 other works of art were also reportedly found in the hands of the criminal gang – many from churches across Europe. According to the Ministry of Culture, the statue was handed back to church representatives on Wednesday.