Chinese artefacts and rhinoceros horn were targeted in seven incidents over four months in 2012 - two thefts and an attempted theft from Durham University Oriental Museum and further incidents at Gorringes auction house in Lewes, Norwich Castle Museum, the Powell Cotton Museum in Kent and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
Twelve of the men, aged between 25 and 67, were arrested last year on a series of warrants across the UK and Ireland by police forces and the National Crime Agency.
The 13th, a 44-year-old Cambridgeshire man, was arrested two weeks ago. He was due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on November 13. The other 12 have been bailed to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on November 25. Three of those charged are aged 32, 36 and 54 from London; three aged 25, 42 and 45 from Cottenham, Cambridgeshire; and two men aged 34 and 67 from Wolverhampton; while others are a 29-year-old from Billericay, Essex; a 48-year-old from Southend-on-Sea; a 44-year-old man from Belfast and a 26-year-old man of no fixed address.
The other people arrested last year who have not now been charged were released with no further action.
The 18 Fitzwilliam items stolen were mostly Ming and Qing dynasty jades and had been part of the museum's permanent collection for over 50 years.
Police recovered the objects stolen from Durham's Oriental Museum shortly after the burglary. An 18th century jade bowl and a porcelain figure were found in a field in the Brandon area, a few miles to the south-west of the city.
