101 arrests were made in an international investigation into illegal art dealers. More than nineteen thousand stolen museum pieces and archaeological objects have been found, reports the international police organization Interpol Wednesday.
The operation targeted criminal networks dealing in artifacts and archaeological objects stolen from museums and war zones.
More than 300 official investigations were opened during the fall 2019 operation. For operational reasons, the results could only now be published.
Interpol focused specifically on online trading and digital marketplaces for this type of goods. These would form an important link in the trade of stolen art.
The so-called Operation Athena II involved cooperation with the Italian, Colombian and Spanish police and the World Customs Organization (WCO), among others.
Golden mask found at Madrid airport
Highlights included the discovery of rare pre-Colombian objects, including a gold mask from Tumaco, at Barajas Airport in Madrid. Another 242 pre-Colombian objects were found during a search in Spain.
Afghan customs seized 971 cultural objects at an airport in Kabul, just before the goods were to be flown to Turkish Istanbul.
During an action in Argentina, the police also found 2,500 antique coins. According to Interpol, this is the largest find ever in this category.
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