“Spur to Switzerland in Major Antiquities Theft in Italy”
Published: Friday, Jul 28th 2023, 13:00
Actualizado el: Viernes, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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Italian authorities are investigating a Swiss auctioneer in connection with a large case of antiquities theft in the Campania region. The Italian news agency Ansa reported that a request for legal assistance had been made. The Federal Office of Justice could not confirm this on Friday. More than twenty people are being investigated by the Santa Maria Capua Vetere authorities, according to Ansa. They are suspected of having illegally excavated and stolen thousands of cultural artifacts from an archaeologically significant area near the provincial capital of Caserta. These include looters, private collectors, smugglers and heads of major auction houses, including an art expert and auctioneer from Switzerland. The investigations, led by the Carabinieri of the Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Naples, have been ongoing for over a year. During this time, the military-organized law enforcement officers have made several arrests, including a former head of the regional Italian cultural heritage authority and a smuggler who smuggled stolen cultural artifacts into Switzerland. These were to be sold to a Swiss auction house whose manager is among the suspects. The prosecution of Santa Maria Capua Vetere has sent a request for legal assistance to Switzerland. The Federal Office of Justice could not confirm this on Friday, but its spokesman said that requests for legal assistance from Italy and other countries regularly arrive due to illegal cultural goods transactions. For the prosecution in Campania, the return of ancient cultural artifacts is of great importance. Apparently, there have been looting and looting in the archaeologically examined and abandoned area near Caserta for a long time. There are many ancient sites in the area.
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