Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Italian authorities have captured 34 “tomb raiders” suspected of looting ancient treasures from archaeological sites sicily and neighboring areas Calabria,
These arrests mark a significant victory in the ongoing fight against trafficking ItalyRich cultural heritage of.
In Sicily alone the operation resulted in nine people being held in pre-trial detention and 14 placed under house arrest. According to police and prosecutors, the charges against the alleged “tomb raiders” include criminal conspiracy, theft of cultural property, trading in stolen goods and counterfeiting.
Authorities successfully recovered approximately 10,000 archaeological artefacts, with an estimated total value of €17 million (£14.5 million).
The hoard contained 7,000 ancient coins issued by the various Greek city-states that once flourished in Sicily, as well as hundreds of clay and terracotta vases, bronze rings, brooches, and arrowheads.
The looting of Italy’s vast artistic and archaeological wealth remains a persistent challenge, although the Carabinieri police art squad has achieved notable success in recovering stolen objects in recent years.
In Italy, the term “tombroli” is used to describe criminals who illegally excavate and trade in any archaeological treasure, beyond those found exclusively in ancient tombs or tombs.
Authorities also discovered a secret laboratory in the eastern Sicilian province of Catania that produced counterfeit ancient coins, pottery and copper, and seized some looted coins in Germany, where they were smuggled for resale.
agricultural code words
In Calabria, two people were placed in pre-trial detention and nine were placed under house arrest on similar charges. Prosecutors from the city of Catanzaro said this Suspicious had acted with the “implicit consent” of the local ‘Ndrangheta mafia clan.
Prosecutors said the suspects kept phone contact to a minimum for fear of being wiretapped and used agricultural code words such as “asparagus” or “fennel” in their conversations to conceal their illegal activities.
He said that in the language of the suspects, “chainsaw” means “metal detector”.
Sicily is home to various ancient Roman and Greek archaeological sites, including the spectacular Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Calabria also has a rich historical heritage.
“We are talking about areas as vast as the cultural heritage that lies beneath their soil,” General Antonio Petti, head of the Carabinieri art squad, told a news conference in Rome.