Top Stories

11,000 stolen artefacts seized in Europe crackdown – Interpol

Law enforcement officials across Europe arrested 60 people last year in a crackdown that retrieved over 11,000 trafficked artworks and artefacts including ancient books, sculptures and coins, Interpol said Thursday.

As part of an annual operation codenamed Pandora VII, forces led by Spain’s Guardia Civil police swooped on the art criminals from September 13 to 24 last year in a slew of European nations, the international police cooperation body said.

The items recovered included 77 ancient books in Italy stolen from a monastery, thousands of historic coins in Poland, and 48 religious sculptures and other artefacts in Portugal, believed to have been nabbed in a string of church robberies in the 1990s and early 2000s.

In all, police from 15 countries took part: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden.

France-based Interpol oversaw coordination between the different forces, along with the EU law enforcement cooperation agency Europol.

“Some 130 investigations are still ongoing, as a result of which more seizures and arrests are anticipated as investigators around the globe go after those spoiling and destroying cultural heritage,” Interpol said it a statement.

Pandora operations to recover stolen art and artefacts have been carried out every year since 2016.

 

admin

Recent Posts

NNPCL Refutes Shutdown Claims: Port Harcourt Refinery Fully Operational

  The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed media reports suggesting that the…

19 hours ago

Grim Friday: Man, Wife, Grandson Perish in Ibadan Fire

  A devastating house fire in the Ori-Eru area of Idikan, Ibadan, Oyo State, has…

20 hours ago

Human Rights Lawyer, Dele Farotimi, Granted ₦30m Bail

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has granted human rights…

2 days ago

Bank Robberies Now History in Lagos Since 2014 – IGP

    The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has declared that the era of…

2 days ago

Chad Terminates Military Partnership with France

Chad announced Thursday that it was ending military cooperation with former colonial power France, just…

3 weeks ago

House of Reps Confirms Oluyede as Chief of Army Staff

  The House of Representatives has confirmed the appointment of Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief…

3 weeks ago