Antiquities smuggling ring busted - 23 arrests
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
Greek authorities arrested 23 people suspected of involvement in three artifact smuggling rings operating in Northern Greece, police said.
The organizations conducted illegal excavations, sometimes using explosives, in the Serres and Thessaloniki regions.
The Hellenic Police said two of the groups focused on illicit archaeological excavations, theft, and illegal export of ancient artifacts.
A third group concentrated on treasure hunting, seeking gold coins and other valuable objects.
A large-scale police operation on March 13 resulted in the arrests.
Fifty people have been charged in connection with the crimes, which date back to September 2024.
The groups used counter-surveillance tactics and coded language to evade detection. Ancient coins were referred to as "trinkets," and excavation finds as "blessings."
Authorities confiscated 2,465 ancient artifacts.
One foreign national.was among those arrested
An employee of the Archaeological Service was involved in one of the rings, providing expertise for targeted excavations.
Related items
-
Greece moves to become Southeast Europe’s first carbon storage hub
-
Giannis Antetokounmpo says Heat provide best route to another NBA title
-
Mitsotakis says under-15s should be banned from major social media platforms, warns of AI's "extreme" risks
-
Marco Rubio made a reference to the murder of Vagia Nestora - "She was executed because her daughter dared to run for public office"
-
Greek banks have liquidity ready to fuel economic growth
Latest from E.Tsiliopoulos
- Greece moves to become Southeast Europe’s first carbon storage hub
- Giannis Antetokounmpo says Heat provide best route to another NBA title
- Mitsotakis says under-15s should be banned from major social media platforms, warns of AI's "extreme" risks
- Marco Rubio made a reference to the murder of Vagia Nestora - "She was executed because her daughter dared to run for public office"
- Greek banks have liquidity ready to fuel economic growth