Shipwreck plunder, art among nearly 38,000 items seized in police crackdown

The chance encounter led to the discovery of more than 1,000 ancient and priceless items including coins, jewels, lamps and swords, some of which date back to the Talayotic culture — from 1600 to 123 B.C. The latest operation led to 80 arrests and the seizure of more than 37,700 items such as paintings, Roman coins and ceramics, according to Interpol. The figures, which cover findings from 2024, are a sharp increase from the previous three years, in which authorities seized between 6,400 and 11,000 items per year. In 2021, authorities seized over 56,400 artifacts, including a single haul of 27,300 items by French customs authorities. Ukrainian authorities also seized nearly 90 items, including coins, books and spoons, that were being illegally taken out of the war-torn country, en route to Poland, Moldova and Romania, Interpol said.