Antiquity theft networks continue to covet Greek cultural heritage
Places of worship and archaeological sites top the list of places in Greece favored by art thieves, while their preferred loot includes vases, paintings and sculptures. These are some of the basic findings by Interpol’s Stolen Works of Art program, launched in recent years in a drive to crack down on international theft networks that steal, transport and trade cultural objects on a global scale. According to Interpol, France and Italy are the two most affected countries, as the ever-increasing demand in an already drained fine arts market has, in turn, created a need for new, obscure sources of objects d’art. Greece also ranks among countries which have suffered cultural losses from local and cross-border art theft networks, with some 3,554 objects of cultural worth having been stolen, according to Interpol statistics from 1999. Vases, paintings, icons, sculptures and statues, as well as ceremonial objects are some of the cherished spoils sought over the years by art thieves in Greece. Moreover, places of worship and archaeological sites are by far the places targeted most by thieves of Greek antiquities and art. Interpol reports note that 47 of 141 art theft cases in Greece in 1999 occurred in churches, followed by archaeological sites with 27 reported cases, while museums, castles and art galleries each claimed fewer than five incidents. Although museums in Greece are not ostensible targets of art theft rings, one case made the headlines over a decade ago when, on April 12, 1990, thieves broke into the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth and stole 284 artifacts, with a total value of approximately $2 million. It took a painstaking 10-year investigation and close cooperation between American and Greek law enforcement agencies, as well as Interpol, before agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were able to retrieve the stolen antiquities. Following information that a number of the stolen objects had been consigned for auction at Christie’s in New York by a woman identified as Wilma Sabala, FBI agents raided a location in Miami, Florida on June 7, 2000, where they discovered 265 of the stolen antiquities. A further investigation led to the recovery of several more pieces and FBI officials on January 18, 2001 returned a total of 274 artifacts to the Greek museum and Culture Ministry officials during a ceremony held in FBI offices in New York. Interpol argues that it is difficult to gauge the extent of the illicit art trade, mainly because a theft is often not discovered until the stolen objects appear in the official arts market. Another problem is the lack of information being provided by the countries involved to international police agencies. In an effort to keep up with the fast pace of developments in technology and international crime, Interpol has developed a database of information available to all Interpol member states. More recently, the law enforcement agency Stolen Works of Art unit produced a CD-ROM featuring detailed records of stolen and recovered artworks. As many as 50 pieces are featured on Interpol’s website under the heading «Recently stolen works of art,» while as many as 152 works of art are listed as «unclaimed.» «This form of traffic will never cease, but if we want to reduce it, we must work together,» the agency noted in a statement.
