At the head of this operation is a certain Andy Link, alias AK47. He is said to have stolen the statue out of revenge, offended by Banksy's refusal to sign one of his works. Very sure of himself, AK47 offers to return The Drinker in exchange for a hefty ransom of £5,000.
But Banksy, being a joker, made a counter-proposal: to pay him just enough to buy a can of gasoline to destroy the statue!

It must be said that Banksy is stuck. An emblematic figure of urban art, he creates most of his works in the street or on walls, which makes his activity illegal.

He can not file a complaint, or even claim authorship of his works under his real name. AK47 became the owner of the Drinker and installed it in his garden.

The story could have ended there. But, in 2007, a new twist! The sculpture was stolen again from AK47's garden...

The Drinker reappears a decade later in the catalog of the auction house Sotheby's, with an estimate of one million pounds.

AK47 tried to sue for the return of the statue, but without success. That's what we call the sprinkler!