MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI) – Three members of an organized gang have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 years for stealing rare and antique books from Moscow libraries, RIA Novosti reported on Monday.

According to investigators, they have stolen and sold many old books over the past eight years. Investigators had evidence of 10 such cases.

“Investigators found that the group members stole antique books of historical, scientific, artistic and cultural value and sold them at auctions, through resale shops, secondhand bookshop and art centers, as well as to collectors. Police have established the group’s scheme, including the suspects, the masterminds behind the operations, and the sales network of stolen goods,” an official at the Moscow department of the Interior Ministry said earlier.

The reserved price of one of the stolen books could amount to $30,000 at international bibliopolical auctions.

In August 2014, one of the gang members was placed in detention, while two others were released, but restricted. In 2015, they were charged under a Criminal Code article on the theft of items of intrinsic value.