By AFP
As part of an annual operation codenamed Pandora VII, forces led by Spain’s Guardia Civil police swooped on the art criminals from September 13 to 24 last year in a slew of European nations, the international police cooperation body said.
The items recovered included 77 ancient books in Italy stolen from a monastery, thousands of historic coins in Poland, and 48 religious sculptures and other artefacts in Portugal, believed to have been nabbed in a string of church robberies in the 1990s and early 2000s.
In all, police from 15 countries took part: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden.
France-based Interpol oversaw coordination between the different forces, along with the EU law enforcement cooperation agency Europol.
“Some 130 investigations are still ongoing, as a result of which more seizures and arrests are anticipated as investigators around the globe go after those spoiling and destroying cultural heritage,” Interpol said it a statement.
Pandora operations to recover stolen art and artefacts have been carried out every year since 2016.
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