There are a total of 51 suspects in the investigation called “Canusium” by the Carabinieri of the heritage protection unit, the ROS and the provincial commands of various Italian regions, which today led to the execution of 21 precautionary measures, including 16 arrests – between prison and house arrest – and five obligations to remain in residence and sign in.
The investigations, coordinated by the Trani Public Prosecutor's Office, have ascertained the existence of a criminal association - with an operational base in Canosa di Puglia (Barletta - Andria - Trani) - aimed at the clandestine excavation, theft, receiving and illicit export of archaeological and numismatic finds.
The group, according to investigators, had tomb raiders who were involved in illegal excavations and receivers – from the area and from areas other than Puglia – who, with the help of traffickers of archaeological finds, placed vases and coins on international and national black markets.
In this way the suspects would have started a "thriving commercial channel of archaeological coins" which from Puglia and Campania “they were sold by various receivers to various international traffickers” who placed them on the global illicit market through foreign auction houses”.
During the investigation, several thousand archaeological finds were recovered and seized, including ceramics and gold, silver and bronze coins, 60 metal detectors and tools used for clandestine excavation, as well as accounting documentation relating to illicit transactions in Italy and abroad.
There were also about fifty searches carried out in several municipalities of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Campania, Lazio and Puglia. For the investigations, it was - it is explained - of "fundamental importance the consultation of the database of illegally stolen cultural assets" of the Ministry of Culture, exclusively managed, fed and developed on a technological level by the Carabinieri dell'Arte "in which more than 1,3 million files relating to works to be searched are stored.
Article published on May 24, 2023 - 14:13 pm
