When the FBI Comes Calling…®

THEFT AND TRAFFICKING OF ANTIQUITIES

The theft and trafficking of antiquities is a growing and serious transnational crime. In the wake of the pillaging of the Iraqi National Museum in the wake of the US invasion of that country, more attention has been paid to the theft and trafficking of antiquities, especially as many countries are beginning to suspect that the proceeds of trafficking are being used to fund terrorism and organized crime.

Italy and Greece have traditionally been seen as the primary countries which are most affected by the trafficking of antiquities. For example, in the Fall of 2005, Italy initiated a criminal prosecution against the curator of Los Angeles' J. Paul Getty Museum for allegedly possessing stolen Italian artifacts. Italian officials also allege that other American museums, including New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, possess stolen artifacts. Those criminal proceedings have caused Greece to announce that they suspect a number of American museums possess stolen artifacts from that country.

In the wake of these allegations, other countries have announced that they will enhance and strengthen their national laws that address the preservation of their cultural heritage. Countries such as Peru, Morocco, India, France, Egypt, Turkey, and even various Native American tribes are announcing that efforts are or will be taken to aggressively prosecute those that traffic in antiquities. Details on all these efforts can be found at our Transnational Crimes blog.

Interpol and the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation both maintain databases of the higher-profile art thefts. Interpol's can be found here and the FBI's can be found here.

Theft of Antiquities Continued-->