Spain’s Civil Guard working with Europol has sized more than 2,200 looted
and valuable artifacts, mostly from ancient Egypt, as part of a major crackdown
in Europe. In the operation 35 suspected traffickers were captured in total,
consisting of Spaniards and Egyptians.
Among the 36 looted items recovered by the police was a vase, covered in
hieroglyphics, and a statue of the goddess Isis. According to Captain Javier
Morales, an expert in the field, probably the most valuable single item is a majestic
bust of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet, which is worth around $113,000. In total, the various artifacts are apparently worth up
to $340,000.
The curator of Barcelona’s Egyptian museum,
Luis Manuel Gonzálvez, told
The Local that since the revolution in
Egypt at the beginning of the Arab Spring, it has been far more difficult for
authorities in that country to take care of the many valuable and ancient
sites.
“Many artifacts have been taken from Egypt to Europe and the USA, but as the
situation improves in Egypt, we are likely to see fewer incidents on this
scale.”
The discovery formed part of a major operation launched in 14 countries in
an effort to prevent further looting and illicit trafficking of cultural
artifacts of this nature.
These
particular items were found hidden in a container load of cheap vases, shipped
from Alexandria in Egypt to the Port of Valencia in Spain.
According to police, some of the items were most likely looted from the
Saqqara burial site and ruins, close to Mit Rahina in Egypt.
Among the 35 suspected traffickers found, the discovery of the looted items
led
Civil Guard officers to arrest of
arrested five members of the network in Barcelona and
Tortosa in Spain (four Egyptians and one Spanish)
and two more in Egypt. The
criminals will all now face several charges, including the trafficking of
historic objects, being members of a criminal group and money laundering.
During the operation, agents have inspected several thousands of art and
antique dealers, second-hand sellers and auction houses in 14 European countries,
including Britain, France and Germany.
Inspections have also been stepped up at border posts, ports and
airports.
Besides the successful operation in Valencia, Spain, the Italian Government advised
last week that their police had sized over 5,000 ancient artifacts as part of a
$51 million haul after they dismantled a combined Swiss and Italian trafficking
ring.
