Ancient Egyptian artefacts taken during a break-in at a museum in Caboolture have been recovered and a 52-year-old man has been charged.
Break-In At Caboolture Museum
Police allege a man smashed a window at The Abbey Place property, home to the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology in Caboolture, at about 3 a.m. on Friday 13 February.
Items reported stolen included a painted wooden Egyptian cat figure from the 26th Dynasty, a 3,300-year-old necklace and a mummy mask that had been verified by the British Museum. A ring and an ushabti funerary figurine were also damaged during the incident.
The museum receives more than 10,000 school students each year as part of its education program. Management indicated the financial impact of the damage and disruption could exceed $100,000.
Vehicle Located At Redland Bay
At about 1:30 p.m. on Saturday 14 February, officers from the Moreton North Property Crime Taskforce located a Toyota HiAce camper in the car park of the Redland Bay ferry terminal. The vehicle was seized and searched.
Police recovered all of the stolen artefacts from the vehicle except the wooden cat sculpture. The recovered items were described by police as intact, with minor damage noted.
Later that evening, at about 7 p.m., a 52-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested on Russell Island and transported to the Cleveland Watchhouse. Police allege he was in possession of the missing wooden cat sculpture at the time of his arrest.
Charges And Court Appearance
The man has been charged with enter premises and commit indictable offence by break, and three counts of wilful damage.
He has also been charged with trespass and assault occasioning bodily harm in relation to an alleged incident at a Hastings Street property in Noosa on 12 February. Police allege he assaulted a resident after being asked to leave the premises. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday 16 February.
The Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology has reopened, with a limited display of its remaining Egyptian artefacts.
Published 16-Feb-2026
Photo Credit: QPS/Facebook
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