8 months ago
Italy Arrests 34 Tomb Raiders in Looting Crackdown
Italian police have arrested 34 people who were stealing treasures from old archaeological sites in Sicily and Calabria.
These people, called tomb raiders, were stealing things like coins, vases, and jewelry from ancient Roman and Greek sites.
The police also found a secret lab where fake ancient items were being made.
The stolen items are worth about 17 million euros.
Some of the tomb raiders were working with a local mafia group.
The police used special words to talk about their investigation to keep it secret.
Italian authorities arrested 34 individuals suspected of looting archaeological sites in Sicily and Calabria.
Around 10,000 archaeological artefacts, including 7,000 ancient coins, were seized.
The estimated value of the recovered goods is 17 million euros.
Authorities discovered a clandestine lab producing fake ancient coins, pottery, and copper.
Some suspects operated with the 'implicit consent' of a local Ndrangheta mafia clan.
- Who
- Italian authorities, including the Carabinieri art squad and prosecutors from Catania and Catanzaro
- What
- Arrested 34 individuals suspected of looting archaeological sites and trading in stolen goods
- Where
- Sicily and Calabria regions of Italy
- When
- Arrests made on Friday, December 12
- Why
- To combat the looting of Italy's rich artistic and archaeological heritage
Key facts
- Number of Arrests
- 34
- Artefacts Recovered
- 10,000
- Coins Recovered
- 7,000
- Estimated Value of Recovered Goods
- 17 million euros
- Charges
- Criminal conspiracy, theft of cultural property, trading in stolen goods, counterfeiting
- Regions Involved
- Sicily and Calabria
- Mafia Clan Involved
- Ndrangheta
- Code Words Used
- Asparagus, fennel, chainsaw
Quotes
General Antonio Petti
Head of the Carabinieri art squad
“We are talking about territories as vast as the cultural heritage that lies under their ground.”
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