Greek Police Arrest Two and Seize 172 Ancient Artifacts in Athens

Greek constabulary person seized 172 past artifacts successful an Athens suburb. Credit: Hellenic Police

Police seized 172 ancient artifacts and arrested 2 suspects during a raid connected 3 homes and 1 conveyance successful an Athens suburb.

Among the recovered antiquities are bronze and metallic coins, Roman and Byzantine clay lamps, ceramic fragments and vessels specified arsenic kylikes and lekythoi from the Archaic to Hellinistic periods. The section Ephorate of Antiquities confirmed their authenticity and opined that the items fell wrong Greece’s laws for the extortion of cultural heritage and antiquities.

The 2 suspects, who are brothers, were referred to prosecutors. They look charges for violating taste practice extortion laws.

How the constabulary cognition to prehend the artifacts unfolded

The cognition took spot successful Alimos, a suburb successful southern Athens connected Monday, November 25, aft constabulary had been tipped disconnected astir the beingness of a ample fig of past artifacts successful an flat successful the area. After investigating and assessing the information, they decided to instantly raid 3 apartments.

Police archetypal raided the crushed level of the flat gathering and past the apartments connected the 3rd and sixth floor, wherever the artifacts were found. The 2 brothers, 1 of whom is reported to beryllium a lawyer, were besides recovered successful 1 of the apartments and were instantly arrested.

Police investigating the lawsuit are troubled by the precise ample fig of artifacts recovered, arsenic good arsenic astir their root since they fishy they originated from a museum. Reports accidental that the begetter of the 2 suspects worked astatine a depository successful Athens.

Recent cases of recovered antiquities successful Greece

In May 2024, Greek constabulary recovered a kouros statue torso and an ancient golden coin among different artifacts earlier they were sold for millions by antiquity smugglers.

In an authoritative announcement, the Hellenic Police (EL.AS) said they conducted an extended cognition successful houses successful the areas of Attica and the adjacent state of Voiotia, wherever the antiquities were recovered and confiscated. Three radical were arrested and a lawsuit was filed against them for mounting up a criminal organization and usurpation of antiquities and weapons laws.

According to the police, the golden coin (Statira of Ptolemy I of Egypt) has a singular taste and humanities worth due to the fact that it is simply a precise rare coagulated coin, with lone 7 of its benignant successful existence.

Rare coins seized by Greek constabulary successful March 2024, dating backmost to 320-280 BC. Credit: Hellenic Police

In March 2024, Greek constabulary connected the land of Evia arrested a suspected antiquities smuggler who had 38 ancient Greek coins successful his possession and different antiquities that helium intended to merchantability to collectors.

The past coins were examined by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Evia who ruled that they constituted objects of important humanities and archaeological worth due to the fact that they belonged to the aforesaid clip period, dating betwixt 320-280 BC.