Woman busted for total of 64 objects of historical value, 1,576 ancient coins in Spain

A woman who was busted in Spain last year with ancient artifacts is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to art trafficking across Europe. An operation against the trafficking of cultural goods has led to 80 arrests and the seizure of 37,727 items, including archaeological pieces, artworks, coins and musical instruments, according to recent data released by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in a news release .

80 arrests and more than 37,700 cultural goods seized in major art trafficking bust under Operation Pandora.The joint effort involved @Europol, the @WCO_OMD, and INTERPOL.Seized items included archaeological pieces, artworks, coins, and musical instruments.— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) May 22, 2025

The woman, who has not been named by authorities, was travelling from Mallorca when she was stopped as part of a search by the Spanish Civil Guard. She was attempting to fly to Germany with 55 ancient coins and a ring, Interpol said. The woman said she was bringing the items back to Germany and that they had belonged to her late husband, who was an archaeologist and diver, the Washington Post reported . A spokesperson for the Civil Guard told the publication that the woman said she was going to take the objects to Germany for evaluation so they could be sold. This eventually led to the Civil Guard uncovering and confiscating 64 objects of historical value and 1,576 ancient coins. The items dated back to between 1600 and 123 B.C. and were part of Talayotic culture, per the Civil Guard, the Washington Post reported. According to the publication, the couple’s daughter had accompanied her father on trips to recover objects. She is facing charges of plundering underwater wrecks and archaeological sites. The items are now being catalogued by the Museum of Mallorca, the Washington Post said, and are expected to be put on display. This is one of hundreds of instances involving the trafficking of cultural goods last year, the international police organization said. In 2024, the ninth edition of the operation, which has been dubbed Pandora IX, involved law enforcement and customs authorities from 23 countries. It was launched in 2016 as a global initiative to protect cultural heritage from illicit trafficking. There were a total of 258 cases reported last year alone. Many investigations are currently underway. In another Spanish case, the Civil Guard “dismantled a criminal group involved in archaeological looting in the province of Cáceres.” Six people were arrested and three others are under investigation, Interpol said. Authorities recovered 2,500 archaeological items, mainly Roman coins minted in the Celtiberian city of Tamusia. The items had been looted from “protected archaeological sites in the province of Cáceres using metal detectors and were being sold illegally through social media platforms,” per Interpol. Last year, authorities confiscated 69 metal detectors and 23 tools commonly used for illegal excavations. Countries that participated in Pandora IX include Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine, and the United States.

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