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| Antiques looted in Libya by ISIS sold in Spain, two experts arrested |
| 2018-03-29 |
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Two Spanish art experts suspected of running a ring that sold antiques looted from archaeological sites in Libya by groups linked to the ISIS group have been nabbedKeep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! , police said Wednesday. Officers seized "numerous works of art", including seven mosaics and a sarcophagus, during raids carried out in five locations in Barcelona and the nearby town of Argentona as part of their operation, police said in a statement. The works were stolen from archaeological sites in Libya's eastern coastal region of Cyrenaica and northern region of Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... tania, which are home to some of the finest Roman and Greek ruins in existence. The two men who were arrested as part of the operation are both Spanish nationals aged 31 who are experts in ancient art. Police said one of the men appeared regularly on TV to discuss ancient art and even took part in several academic conferences that discussed the destruction of historical sites by the ISIS group. "They led a network that illegally bought works looted from archaeological sites by groups linked to the terrorist group ISIS, helping to finance its activities," police said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS. "Some of the pieces also showed imperfections, bumps and marks that indicated they underwent a violent extraction from the subsoil, without the use of adequate archaeological techniques," it added. The two men are accused of selling the works, dubbed "blood antiques" on the black market according to Spanish police, at a gallery they run in Barcelona. They face charges of membership in a criminal organization, document falsification, smuggling and financing terrorism. Spanish police said they sought the help of Libyan authorities to verify the authenticity of the works. |
| Posted by:Fred |