Last year alone, more than 37,000 cultural objects – including archaeological objects, works of art, coins and musical instruments – were seized in an international operation led by Interpol and other organizations, working with law enforcement and customs authorities from 23 countries.
According to Interpol, Ukrainian customs authorities intercepted 87 items of historical value, including icons of Saint Seraphim of Sarov and ancient coins that smugglers were trying to illegally export to Poland, Moldova and Romania.
In Spain, investigators discovered a group that had looted archaeological sites in Cáceres province, using metal detectors to extract thousands of Roman coins and selling them on social media.
In Greece, three people were arrested for trying to sell five Byzantine icons for $80,000.
International cooperation
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the smuggling of cultural goods is, alongside arms and drug trafficking, among the most lucrative illicit exchanges.
However, unlike other forms of trafficking, the trade in cultural goods is not completely forbidden.
The high demand for antiques and works of art, combined with weak regulation, makes the market very lucrative and relatively low-risk, particularly in times of political instability, war and social upheaval, where changing priorities often leave archaeological sites and museums unattended.
Organized criminal networks take advantage of crises, operate through complex supply chains, and profit from both the legal and black markets.
Talk to UN News in advance International Day Against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Propertycelebrated every year on November 14, the cultural organization of the United Nations, UNESCOKrista Pikkat of Krista Pikkat said: “Illicit trafficking, theft and illicit transfers of cultural property really touch on issues such as cultural rights, cultural identity, our memory and communities and their history. »
Increasingly, traffickers are also turning to online platforms and auctions to sell stolen items, including items recovered from underwater archaeological sites.
UNESCO condemned the October 2025 theft of “eight priceless cultural objects” from the famous Louvre Museum in Paris, France, warning that such crimes “endanger the conservation, study and transmission of valuable historical objects.”
Financing of terrorism
The organization highlights that illicit trafficking fuels global criminal networks linked to money laundering, tax evasion and even terrorist financing.
Since 2023, UNESCO has trained more than 1,200 museum and customs professionals from 80 countries to strengthen legal frameworks, train and raise public awareness.
“We also collaborate with some of our partners, for example the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to see how nuclear technology can be applied to provenance research. It is therefore also interesting to see how new technologies in artificial intelligence actually offer us new opportunities in the fight against illicit trafficking,” added Ms. Pikkat.
In September, UNESCO launched the first Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objectsusing 3D modeling and virtual reality to display digital replicas of stolen objects.
The platform includes educational materials, testimonies from affected communities and examples of successful restitution. “The idea behind the museum,” Ms. Pikkat said, “is that one day it will be empty.”
She shared a personal example involving her home country of Estonia, which nominated several altar sculptures from a small island church to the museum’s collection.
A 16th-century altarpiece from KaarmaChurch in Estonia.
Made by Lübeck artisans in the 16th century, these pieces reflect Estonia’s historical ties to the Hanseatic League.
Their true value, she stressed, lies not in money but in their historical, cultural and spiritual significance. UNESCO warns that a society deprived of its heritage loses part of its identity and the foundations of its future development.
The UN cultural agency continues to support countries in their efforts to identify and recover stolen objects, particularly in Central Asia, where objects have been trafficked from Afghanistan.
Digital tools such as electronic records, databases and blockchain technology now help trace the provenance of antiquities.
Authorities urge buyers to always request official documents proving origin and to avoid unknown online sellers. Suspicious items can be reported to local law enforcement or directly to Interpol.
Each repatriated artifact reestablishes a precious link between past and present.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
