A man has been arrested and charged for allegedly stealing four Olympic medals, including three gold, belonging to Australian rowing legend Drew Ginn but the medals remain missing, sparking a search for the valuable souvenirs, CNN reports.
The 47-year-old suspect, who was wanted on a warrant, was apprehended on Wednesday in Brunswick, a northern suburb of Melbourne. Authorities believe the medals were stolen from the back of a Land Rover parked in Melbourne around a week ago.
The theft also included a GoPro camera, headphones, and a wetsuit, all of which Ginn had left inside his car while he attended a speaking engagement at a local school.
Ginn, a member of the famed “Oarsome Foursome” rowing crew, is one of Australia’s most decorated Olympians. His medal haul, collected over a career spanning from the 1996 Atlanta games to the 2012 London Olympics, holds immense personal significance.
“They have a lot of value for family and friends… but you can’t insure them,” Ginn told ABC Radio Melbourne. “They were hidden away in the car, but the car was ransacked completely, so lots of stuff was broken and destroyed.”
Despite the loss, Ginn expressed hope that the medals might be returned rather than sold.
“There might be a market out there for this kind of thing, but you’d hope sensibility would play out,” he said. “I know other medals have been returned in years gone by, so we hope that happens in this case.”
Police have released a photo of the medals and urged the public to remain vigilant, particularly pawn shops and online marketplaces, in case they are offered for sale.
The alleged thief faces charges of theft from a motor vehicle, obtaining property by deception, obtaining financial advantage by deception, and handling stolen goods. The investigation continues as police search for the missing medals.
