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| South Africa police hunt Pretoria Art Museum thieves | South Africa police hunt Pretoria Art Museum thieves |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| South Africa's police are hunting for a gang which stole art worth $2m (£1.25m) from a museum in the capital, Pretoria. | |
| The robbers posed as visitors, before drawing pistols and stealing paintings by top South African artists, police spokesman Lt Col Katlego Mogale said. | The robbers posed as visitors, before drawing pistols and stealing paintings by top South African artists, police spokesman Lt Col Katlego Mogale said. |
| The thieves abandoned one painting because they could not fit it in their getaway car, the AFP news agency reports. | The thieves abandoned one painting because they could not fit it in their getaway car, the AFP news agency reports. |
| South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. | South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. |
| Lt Col Mogale said border officials are on alert in case the thieves try to smuggle the paintings out of the country. | Lt Col Mogale said border officials are on alert in case the thieves try to smuggle the paintings out of the country. |
| Three gunmen paid the $2.25 entrance fee at the Pretoria Art Museum on Sunday and then "held up the person who they had just paid and demanded several paintings before they escaped", he added. | Three gunmen paid the $2.25 entrance fee at the Pretoria Art Museum on Sunday and then "held up the person who they had just paid and demanded several paintings before they escaped", he added. |
| 'Identikits being compiled' | 'Identikits being compiled' |
| Authorities said the robbers stole specific paintings, but were forced to leave behind a painting by well-known artist Irma Stern because it did not fit in their silver sedan car, AFP reports. | Authorities said the robbers stole specific paintings, but were forced to leave behind a painting by well-known artist Irma Stern because it did not fit in their silver sedan car, AFP reports. |
| The gunmen escaped with another Stern painting, Fishing boats, South Africa's Times Live newspaper reports. | The gunmen escaped with another Stern painting, Fishing boats, South Africa's Times Live newspaper reports. |
| Other paintings stolen include Maggie Laubser's Cat and Petunias, JH Pierneef's Eland and Bird, Hugo Naude's Hottentot Chief and Gerard Sekoto's Street scene, it reports. | Other paintings stolen include Maggie Laubser's Cat and Petunias, JH Pierneef's Eland and Bird, Hugo Naude's Hottentot Chief and Gerard Sekoto's Street scene, it reports. |
| Lt Col Mogale said identikits of the suspects were being compiled. | Lt Col Mogale said identikits of the suspects were being compiled. |
| "No arrests have been made but we are following a few leads," he said. | "No arrests have been made but we are following a few leads," he said. |