80 arrests: 38,000 stolen cultural treasures secured!

80 arrests: 38,000 stolen cultural treasures secured!

Europol ensured an impressive amount of around 38,000 cultural assets that allegedly come from international robberies. 80 suspects were arrested. The seizures include a variety of precious objects, including works of art, coins, musical instruments, pictures and archaeological finds. This information was reported by OE24

The operation was supported by authorities from 23 countries, Interpol and the World Customs Organization. In Austria, five potentially stolen cultural goods could be identified and ensured. Among them were four sculptures and a painting that were discovered during an inspection of an art dealer and by online research. In addition, a passenger at Mallorca airport was caught with antique coins and a valuable ring that should be smuggled to Germany.

extensive investigations and further arrests

The investigation in the context of this campaign has not yet been completed and further arrests are expected. Numerous metal detectors and tools for illegal excavations were also ensured. This information relates to the procedure of the investigators, who now also include cyber investigators in order to examine the online sale of stolen cultural goods. It turns out that digital platforms are increasingly being used as a preferred channel for such sales.

In another dimension of the "Operation Pandora", the Rediscovery of over 6,400 cultural goods was found in a campaign led by the Spanish Guardia Civil. 25 countries took part in this operation and 85 arrests were carried out. The cooperation between Spain and Ukraine, in which 11 valuable gold objects worth 60 million euros could be brought back, received special attention. This information comes from a report by Interpol .

results and future actions

In the past few years, extensive results have been achieved in the course of “Operation Pandora”, including 60 arrests and 11,049 artifacts seized in another round of this initiative. Here, too, thousands of controls were carried out at different locations, including airports, auction houses and private residence. The exchange of information through Interpol was crucial for this success, while Europol played a central role in the implementation of the strategy.

International cooperation includes numerous countries that all pursue a common goal: the protection of the cultural heritage and the fight against art smuggling. The "Operation Pandora" was launched in 2016 and runs annually as part of the European multidisciplinary platform against crime threats (Empact). These factors make a decisive contribution to raising awareness of the threats of the cultural heritage and increasing the efforts to recover lost treasures, as well as Interpol