Interpol says 11,000 stolen artefacts seized in Europe crackdown
60 people were arrested across Europe last year in a crackdown that retrieved over 11,000 trafficked artworks and artefacts including ancient books, sculptures and coins, Interpol said Thursday.
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As part of an annual operation codenamed Pandora VII, forces led by Spain's Guardia Civil police swooped on the art criminals from 13 to 24 September last year in a slew of European nations, the international police cooperation body Interpol 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.
🎥 OPERATION Pandora VII: This is the moment @guardiacivil recovered a Roman marble bust in Sevilla, Spain.
— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) May 4, 2023
The sculpture is believed to represent Salonia Matidia, the niece of the emperor Traian.
For more information on Pandora VII: https://t.co/oHAK1rj6bQ pic.twitter.com/0Vw6UC55t0
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.
'130 investigations still ongoing'
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.
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