Stradivarius theft leads to 3 arrests

Three people were arrested for stealing a $1.9-million Stradivarius violin from an internationally acclaimed musician while she stopped for a snack at a London sandwich bar, British police said Thursday.

South Korean violinist Min-Jin Kym was eating inside the sandwich shop outside Euston station on Nov. 29 when she noticed that her black violin case — which contained the 300-year-old Stradivarius as well as two expensive bows — was missing, police said.

The violin, made in 1696, is one of about 400 in the world.

Police arrested and charged John Maughan, 26, and two teenagers on Wednesday for theft.

The teens, aged 16 and 14 years old, cannot be named for legal reasons. Maughan is in custody and the two teenagers are free on bail.

Police are appealing for information about the whereabouts of the rare instrument. An insurance company has offered the equivalent of a $23,300 reward for information that could lead to the violin's recovery.

Kym began playing the violin at the age of six. She made her international debut with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra when she was 13. Since then, she has performed with some of the world's leading orchestras.