52 arrested in Italy for archeological smuggling

Italian police arrested 52 people and recovered several hundred smuggled archeological artifacts as part of their ``tomb raider'' investigation into international art theft.

More than 300 carabinieri of the finance police and paramilitary art squad searched suspects' homes in eight Italian provinces early today and found smuggled goods of ``considerable worth,'' Italy's Culture Ministry said in an e-mail.

Three years of investigations into a group of Sicilian ``tomb raiders'' led to the searches, arrests and uncovering of a wider international network, with contacts in Germany, Switzerland, Spain, the U.K. and U.S., the statement said.

Posted by David on January 31, 2007 10:50 AM