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Thieves steal Munch piece in Norway

OSLO — Thieves stole a valuable artwork by Edvard Munch from an Oslo art dealer in the latest of a string of art heists targeting work by the famous Norwegian expressionist, police said Friday.

One or more thieves stole "Historien" — or "History" — from Nyborgs Kunst in downtown Oslo after smashing one of the dealership's windows with a rock, police spokeswoman Unni Groendal said.

The hand-colored lithograph, printed in 1914, is worth "in the millions" of kroner (hundreds of thousands of dollars), dealership owner Pascal Nyborg said. It was the only item stolen in the heist late Thursday.

The thieves were seen fleeing in a stolen van, which was later found abandoned near the British Embassy in Oslo's wealthy Frogner neighborhood, Groendal said.

Police had no suspects as of Friday afternoon. Groendal said evidence suggested the heist was carefully planned and orchestrated by a criminal organization.

Munch artworks are a popular target for art thieves in Norway.
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