By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ROME (Worthy News) – Some 80 people have been arrested across various European nations in a major international police operation against illegal art trade, officials said Friday.
According to police, about 37,727 objects, including archaeological pieces, coins, and works of art, were also seized.
Sources familiar with the crackdown said this is the ninth year police services have worked together in “Operation Pandora” to combat the illegal art trade.
This time, 22 European countries and the United States participated in the police action.
The Spanish Guardia Civil coordinated the operation, with support from police organizations Europol and Interpol.
Thousands of artifacts were seized in Spain, Italy, and Greece, among other countries.
In Spain, for example, it involved 2,500 old coins, mainly from the Roman period, which had been stolen from the archaeological site of Tamusia and were offered for sale online, police said.
PASSENGER INTERCEPTED
Also in Spain, investigators announced that a passenger was intercepted while trying to fly from the Spanish island of Mallorca to Germany with 55 coins and a ring in his pocket.
Ancient coins and prehistoric objects such as spearheads were reportedly also seized in Italy.
In Greece, it involved, among other items, 5 Byzantine icons and religious paintings of “holy figures” from the Orthodox Church, authorities explained.
The arrested suspects reportedly tried to sell them for 70,000 euros ($79,000) before being caught in an undercover operation.
Finally, investigators explained that in Ukraine, 87 culturally valuable objects were intercepted by customs in attempts to smuggle them out of the country to Poland, Moldova, or Romania.
Two religious icons were found in the luggage of a bus passenger to Poland, police said.
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