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Newsletter archive |
Success stories 
February 2005 African treasures seized by customs agents French customs agents searching for drugs seized Eight hundred forty five pieces of West African antiquities. The pieces, smuggled out of Niger, were heading for Belgium. News24, February 6, 2005
Iraqi antique dealer arrested for smuggling and suspected of being a spy On February 3rd, Yemeni police arrested an Iraqi man after finding seven hundred antiquities including coins, statues, pottery, and manuscripts during a raid on his home in Hadda. Also found were telescopes and photographs of government buildings leading police to suspect that he was also involved in espionage activities. Yemen Observer, February 5, 2005
January 2005 Raids net thousands of artifacts in Oregon After two years of investigations, U.S. Federal agents in Oregon working on behalf of the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management seized thousands of archaeological artifacts which are thought to have been stolen from sites on public land. The artifacts which included arrowheads and pot shards can bring high prices in parts of Europe and Asia. Oregon Live, January 29, 2005
Man sentenced for 2nd Temple artifacts theft A man who stole antiquities including an ossuary from a Second Temple period burial cave outside of Jerusalem was arrested by border police in early January and has been sentenced to five months in jail. Jerusalem Post , January 28, 2005
Scottish museums return artifacts to New Zealand Two preserved tattooed Maori heads and a bone which were taken to Scotland in 1822 are being returned to New Zealand after successful negotiations between a delegation from the national museum of New Zealand and the Perth & Kinross Council. Museums in Glasgow, Scotland have been leaders in the movement to repatriate artifacts and works of art, having set up a Repatriation Working Group and criteria in 1998. Scotsman, January 23, 2005
Italian police seize looted treasures A Naples police unit that specializes in archaeology raided homes, restaurants, and hotels seizing a sarcophagus and about one hundred marble busts that had been illegally excavated and sold to collectors. Scotsman, January 23, 2005
U.S. returns three stolen artifacts to Iraq The U.S. department of Homeland security returned to Iraq's U.N. ambassador three ancient seals that has been looted from a Baghdad museum and sold on the black market. The pieces which were marked were found during a routine baggage search in the possession of an American scholar who later admitted to knowing that the pieces were stolen when he bought them. Newsday, January 18, 2005
Jordan foils smuggling of Egyptian antiquities Jordanian customs agents stopped an attempt to smuggle into the country twenty-four Egyptian copper statues dating to the period of the pharaohs. The statues were hidden in a truck containing bags of onions. . Washington Times, January 17, 2005
Stolen calligraphy returned to Beijing A calligraphy album written by Zhu Xi in 1182 that was stolen from a hotel room in Beijing has been returned to its owner and the thief arrested. China Daily, January 6, 2005
Thirty Iranian antiquities returned by the United Kingdom Thirty ancient artifacts from Jiroft in Ian's Kerman Province that were discovered by customs officials at Heathrow Airport in the summer of 2004 as they were being smuggled into England have been turned over to the Iranian Embassy in London. China Daily, January 2, 2005 We thank the Museum Security Network Mailinglist and Cultural Property Protection Net Mailinglist for their work. |
