By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The woman sold antiquities to foreign countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Italy.
A foreign national was arrested in Athens on Thursday morning, for allegedly orchestrating online auctions to sell ancient Greek artifacts to buyers across the globe, according to LIFO. The arrest was carried out by a specialized police unit that focuses on smuggling ancient Greek artifacts.
The Greek Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities conducted an investigation into the case, revealing that the suspect was selling antiquities to foreign countries, specifically the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, and mainly the US, as reported by SKAI. The woman is accused of auctioning and selling ancient objects through a group on a social networking site, allegedly without authorization.
During a body search of the arrested woman, various ancient artifacts were found in her possession. The items included clay fragments such as bases, bodies, and necks of vessels; a clay lip fragment; a clay object with floral decoration; a glazed clay base fragment; a fragment of a female figurine's head; a fragment of a male figurine with a square base; and an agenda.
In a search conducted at her residence in the presence of a prosecutor, additional items were found and seized. Newsit reports that among the seized items were pottery fragments, pieces of figurines, and a small statue depicting a satyr, a creature from Greek mythology. The artifacts included fragments of clay handles with traces of black coating, a clay fragment of a vessel's lip, a fragment of a clay handle with a fingerprint, a knob of a clay lid, and a fragment possibly of a textile weight (spindle whorl).
Under Greek law, the unauthorized transfer or sale of ancient Greek artifacts is an offense punishable by up to two years in prison for related offenses. ABC News notes that sentences of up to ten years are possible for more serious related offenses. All the artifacts seized during the search were immediately confiscated by the police.
Greece has been combating the illegal trade of ancient artifacts for years. Last month, over 100 ancient Greek artifacts dating back to the Geometric and Hellenistic periods were discovered in a shop in Athens run by the National Gallery.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq
