[CPProt.net] Hundreds of stolen relics found in northern home

[MSN CPPnet]

Hundreds of stolen relics found in northern home

Etgar Lefkovits, THE JERUSALEM POST  Jul. 17, 2005 


Hundreds of ancient artifacts believed to have been stolen from scores of
archaeological sites across the country have been found in the home of an
Israeli-Arab in northern Israel, Israel's Antiquities Authority announced
Sunday. 

The antiquities, including coins, jewelry, and makeup utensils, have been
impounded by police, said Amir Ganor, head of the Authority's anti-theft
division. 

The suspected antiquities thief, who lives in the Emek Hefer region, has
been questioned by police under warning and has denied the allegations
against him, Ganor said. 

The suspect had been under surveillance for the last two months after he was
seen meeting with suspected illegal antiquities dealers, he added. 

The antiquities discovered in his home are valued in the thousands of
dollars. About 300 archeology thefts are detected each year in Israel with
the illicit antiquities trade on the black market in the country estimated
to be running in the millions of dollars annually. 

The phenomenon of antiquities theft has taken on gold-rush dimensions with
an antiquities site now plundered every day on the average.