The British Museum is believed to have lost 2,000 valuable artifacts, although some of them have already started to be recovered, according to chairman George Osborne.

The former chancellor acknowledged that the museum's reputation had suffered but insisted that "we are going to clean up the problem."

The quantity of items stolen from the museum, according to a renowned expert in stolen antiques, is "mind-blowing."

A museum employee who is suspected of being involved has been fired.

Moreover, it was disclosed on Friday that Hartwig Fischer, the museum's director, will resign as soon as he acknowledges that the 2021 probe was handled improperly.

One of the most esteemed cultural institutions in the UK, the museum, has been under fire since it was revealed earlier this month that a number of priceless artifacts had been reported "lost, stolen, or destroyed."

The objects in question were mostly retained for scholarly and research purposes, and they ranged in date from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today program, Mr. Osborne, who was appointed chair in June 2021, said: "We believe we have been the victims of thefts over a long period of time, and clearly more might have been done to avoid them."

When questioned about the whereabouts of the missing goods, he responded, "Some members of the antiquarian community are actively cooperating with us," adding that the recoveries made thus far were "a silver lining to a terrible cloud."

Although he recognized that "others may not," he expressed confidence that "honest individuals" would return stuff that had been taken.