Colombian authorities recovered the prized first-edition copy of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" after it was plucked from a showcase at the International Book Fair in Bogota, officials said.

Gabriel García Márquez penned the masterful classic "Cien años de soledad" ("One Hundred Years of Solitude") in 1967, and it was published by the Editorial Sudamericana of Buenos Aires. The multi-generational tale is shared from the perspective of the Buendía family, whose patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founded the fictional coastal town of Macondo. Since its publication, the novel has become an international sensation.

Gen. Rodolfo Palomino, the chief of police, expressed gratitude over Twitter, applauding the cops "who managed to recover the stolen book." The book was found at a store that deals in antiquities and artwork in the La Perseverencia neighborhood of downtown Bogota after police on the premises spotted the thieves, who then abandoned the book.

The book is one of 8,000 copies printed by the publisher 48 years ago. Because of its rarity and its pristine condition, for it was in a box, the book could've sold to a foreign collector for as much as $51,000, according to authorities.

Alvaro Castillo, the owner of the first edition, which has a dedication by the late Nobel laureate in Literature, thanks the nation of Colombia for its efforts.

"The book no longer belongs to me," Castillo said during a press conference. "It belongs to Colombia." He added that he plans to donate the book to the Colombia National Library, "because it is a national heritage."

The thieves are still at large, and an investigation has been launched to jail the assailants.

Within the book, Marquez wrote a dedication to the book owner, which reads, "To Alvaro Castillo, shepherd of books, yesterday and always. Your friend, Gabriel."