antiquities smuggling
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greek Coins Seized in Chicago to be Repatriated to Greece
Twenty-one ancient Greek coins were discovered and apprehended by Customs and Border Control agents at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
On December 21, the ancient coins were passed on to the Greek Consul General in Chicago, Emmanuel Koubarakis, during...
Crime
Greek Police Dismantle Drug Ring Including 3 Army Officers
The Hellenic Police has dismantled a 32-person drug ring that includes three low-rank army officers, a fire department contract employee and a policeman.
All people arrested on charges of drug trafficking are Greek nationals aged 22-57 years. The large-scale operation...
Archaeology
Antiquities Looting Increases in Crisis-Stricken Greece
The economic crisis has led many Greeks to antiquity looting and smuggling, with most of them being first-time offenders with no criminal record, says a National Geographic report.
The sharp rise in applications for metal detector permits is an indicative...
Archaeology
French Citizen Returns Ancient Greek Amphora
Greek Culture Minister Costas Tasoulas publicly thanked a 90-year-old French citizen for returning an ancient ceramic amphora he had in his possession for 40 years.
The Greek minister commended the French man in front of all European Union culture ministers...
Archaeology
173 Stolen Relics Return to Cyprus
Today, Cyprus welcomes 173 stolen relics repatriated from Munich, Germany. The relics are now in the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios Foundation.
The relics have been identified after extensive investigations by Interpol and the German police, who searched the...
Archaeology
Two Arrests For Smuggling 7,000-Year Old Figurines
According to information released by Hellenic Police, a rare antiquity statuette, estimated to be older than 7,000 years, was confiscated after authorities arrested two men who tried to sell it for 3.5 million euros.
Both the suspects for illicit antiquities...
Europe
Switzerland To Return Rare Ancient Silver Coin Smuggled From Greece
A Swiss court has ordered the return of a very rare ancient silver coin that was allegedly illegally excavated in northern Greece and sold at an auction in Switzerland, as Greek and Swiss officials have stated.
The lawyer representing Greece...
Europe
Turkish Police Arrest Two Men With Aphrodite Statue In Their Car
The Turkish Police have found a statue of Aphrodite that has been missing for years and dates back to the third century B.C., in Kırşehir, Turkey.
When the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Bureau teams stopped a car on the Ankara-Kayseri...
Greece
2 Greeks Arrested for Possessing 2,600-Year-Old Helmet
According to a Greek police statement, 2 men have been arrested Thursday in Pyrgos for allegedly having illegally unearthed and possessing a 2,600-year-old bronze helmet.
The Police say the 6th century B.C. ancient helmet was in fine condition, while during...