Police recover stolen icon
Police arrested a 26-year-old man in Lamia, central Greece, on Friday after he was allegedly caught trying to sell a stolen religious icon for 500,000 euros, authorities said on Saturday. The suspect, who was not identified, attempted to sell to an undercover police officer an icon which depicts Christ and is considered to be of the high archaeological value. Police arrested the man just after he had accepted a 50,000-euro payment in marked bills. According to the Public Order Ministry, the icon – measuring 109 by 86 centimeters – belongs to the Cretan style of painting which flourished in the 17th century. An investigation has been launched to determine whether other people were involved in the operation. The man will appear before a Lamia prosecutor, police added. Police are also looking to determine whether the suspect is connected to the recent theft of a 700-year-old icon from a monastery in Leonidio, in the eastern Peloponnese.
