More than 19,000 archeological antiques and other artworks have been recovered as a part of a worldwide operation spanning 103 nations and centering on the dismantlement of worldwide systems of art and antiquities traffickers. 101 suspects have been captured, and 300 investigations opened as a portion of this facilitated crackdown.

The criminal systems handled archeological products and work of art looted from war-stricken nations, as well as works stolen from exhibition halls and archeological destinations. Seizures include coins from different periods, archeological objects, ceramics, historical weapons, paintings, and fossils.

These come about was achieved amid the worldwide Operation Athena II, driven by the World Traditions Organization (WCO) and INTERPOL, which was carried out in synchronization with the Europe-focused Operation Pandora IV coordinated by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) and Europol within the framework of EMPACT. Details of both Operations, which ran within the autumn of 2019, can as it was being released now due to operational reasons.

Operational highlights

• Afghan Customs seized 971 cultural objects at Kabul airport just as the objects were about to depart for Istanbul, Turkey.
• The Spanish National Police (Policia Nacional), working together with the Colombian Police (Policia Nacional de Colombia), recovered at Barajas airport in Madrid some very rare pre-Columbian objects illegally acquired through looting in Colombia, including a unique Tumaco gold mask and several gold figurines and items of ancient jewelry. Three traffickers were arrested in Spain, and the Colombian authorities carried out house searches in Bogota, resulting in the seizure of a further 242 pre-Columbian objects, the largest ever seizure in the country’s history.
• The investigation of a single case of online sale led to the seizure of 2,500 ancient coins by the Argentinian Federal Police Force (Policia Federal Argentina), the largest seizure for this category of items, while the second-largest seizure was made by Latvian State Police (Latvijas Valsts Policija) for a total of 1,375 coins.
• Six European Police forces reported the seizure of a hundred and eight metal detectors, demonstrating that looting in Europe is still an ongoing business.

According to Interpol Secretary Common Jürgen Stock, “The number of arrests and objects show the scale and global reach of the illicit trade in cultural artifacts, where every country with a rich heritage is a potential target.” “If you then take the significant amounts of money involved and the secrecy of the transactions, this too presents opportunities for money laundering and fraud as well as financing organized crime networks,” added the INTERPOL Chief.

Numerous activities carried out amid the Operation were chosen on and conducted jointly between customs and police at the national level, with the support and cooperation of specialists from the Ministries of Culture as well as from other important institutions and law enforcement organizations.