Thousands of items found were allegedly robbed from heritage sites in Israel and around the world • Director of the Antiquities Authority's Robbery Prevention Unit: "One of the most significant operations carried out in Israel"
Thousands of items were located in the center of the country
Photography:
July Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority
In a joint operation by the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Police and the Tax Authority in Gush Dan, a chain that engaged in illegal trade in antiquities was seized today (Monday).
According to the suspicion, thousands of ancient and rare items were looted from heritage sites in Israel and around the world, destroying history in order to make money.
Thousands of ancient, spectacular and rare items, hundreds and thousands of years old from the country and the world, were seized during the operation.
The suspicion that the items were looted from cemeteries throughout the Mediterranean basin, as well as from Africa and South America, was further investigated.
Evidence was gathered against the arrested suspects, and this morning teams of authorities raided three centers in the Gush Dan area and seized many finds and exhibits.
The detainees were detained for further investigation.
Amir Ganor, director of the Antiquities Authority's Robbery Prevention Unit, stated that: "This is one of the most significant operations carried out in Israel against illegal trade in antiquities. 1 BCE to the 11th century AD.
"The items were looted from tombs sealed in antiquity. The objects left in the tombs were left in them as offerings to the dead, and according to the belief, were to accompany the dead to the next world."
It was also reported that the Antiquities Authority will try to reach the source of the items and check whether they were robbed from an antiquities site in Israel or the Mediterranean Basin, in cooperation with Interpol and other international enforcement bodies.
"This is the beginning of the investigation," Ganor clarified.
"The Antiquities Authority will not allow trade in stolen antiquities, and will cooperate with every factor in the world to prevent it. Antiquities are a heritage asset belonging to all cultures and humanity, and can not be treated as vegetables or other consumer products, which have a substitute. Any archeological find out of context "The archeology is in the hands of antiquities robbers and sold for greed, produces a black hole in history, and we are working to prevent this in every way."
