A man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing Banksy’s new artwork a few days ago from a London street, the Metropolitan Police in London announced.

The new work of the famous street artist – a p“Stop” sign with three military drones – appeared on Friday in Peckham, London. Moments later, two young black men suddenly appeared and stole the work, one hanging the sign and the other helping him.

The theft took place in front of eyewitnesses, some of whom recorded the footage. The video went viral, while police were appealing for information about the incident or the whereabouts of the sign

The Metropolitan Police, which launched an investigation after receiving a report of a theft from Southwark local council, said the man arrested remains in custody.

Police officers said the new license plate had been installed by local authorities to prevent the risk of accidents.

Banksy fans in Instagram posts interpreted the work as a call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

According to Urlich Blanch, a street art expert at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, the work probably suggests a critique of the global arms trade.

A gallery owner told the BBC that the work could be worth as much as £500,000.