Last night, detectives apprehended a man suspected of stealing a Banksy street sign valued at potentially £500,000 in London. The Metropolitan police launched an investigation after a council in south-east London sought their assistance in locating the stolen artwork. The piece, featuring a red stop sign adorned with three military drones, appeared on the corner of Commercial Way, Peckham, on Friday morning. Banksy confirmed its authenticity just after midday.

Footage circulating on social media revealed two individuals, wielding a bolt cutter, brazenly stealing the artwork less than an hour after its confirmation. They made no effort to conceal their identities, with witnesses capturing the audacious theft on camera. The Met confirmed ongoing inquiries into the incident, stating, “We have received a report of theft, and inquiries are ongoing. This incident is being investigated by officers from the Met’s central south CID.”

Later, it was disclosed that a man, arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage, was in custody, and investigations were continuing. Southwark Council expressed confidence in the recovery of the artwork, emphasizing its significance as both a street sign and a community art piece.

Interestingly, the council had preemptively replaced the road sign to prevent potential traffic accidents. Street art expert Ulrich Blanché from Heidelberg University in Germany suggested that the installation's placement near a funeral director and the depiction of military drones indicated a commentary on the global arms trade.

Banksy's Instagram followers interpreted the artwork as a call for a Gaza Strip ceasefire. The piece's potential value, estimated at £500,000, increased due to heightened media attention, according to gallery owner John Brandler. He noted that Banksy's Valentine's Day Mascara mural, weighing 3.8 tonnes and appearing in Margate, Kent, garnered significant attention earlier this year.

The artist has continued to make statements through his work, such as the drone art at Banksy’s Walled Off hotel in Bethlehem in 2017, referencing Israel’s controversial wall in the West Bank. Banksy's creative endeavors have consistently sparked conversations and garnered substantial public and media interest, contributing to the ongoing dialogue around contemporary art and societal issues.