To the investigator the seven arrested persons involved in the major antiquities theft case which was solved on Tuesday by the police of Heraklion, Crete, testify today

They have been taken to the courts of Heraklion the main defendants the 72-year-old pensioner, the 46-year-old carpenter and the 56-year-old former longshoreman as well as the 69-year-old Italian, the 37-year-old, the 43-year-old and the 57-year-old.

The prosecutor exercised criminal prosecution for the establishment of a criminal organization against the three main defendants, namely the 56-year-old former porter, the 72-year-old pensioner and the 46-year-old carpenter.

To the rest, with the exception of the 69-year-old Italian would-be buyer, charged with membership of the criminal organization.

At the same time, the three main defendants are being prosecuted for accepting and disposing of monuments that are proceeds of crime, especially of great value, which the culprit knows to be derived from a criminal act, carried out jointly professionally and as a follow-up. The 69-year-old Italian is being prosecuted for attempting to accept the monuments and three of those arrested for direct cooperation in accepting and disposing of monuments.

At the same time, two of the arrested are being prosecuted for the embezzlement of monuments of particularly high value carried out jointly, professionally and as a follow-up. Finally, two of those arrested are being prosecuted for breaching the obligation to declare monuments carried out jointly and consecutively.

The remaining two who were wanted also surrendered

Yesterday at noon, the two men who were wanted for being involved in the antiquities theft ring surrendered before the judicial authorities.

It is about the 43-year-old and the 71-year-old – who found the Italian – who, through their lawyers who went to the investigator today, made it known that they are at the disposal of the authorities to apologize for what they are accused of.

According to information, the prosecutor prosecuted them for membership in a criminal organization, while the 71-year-old was prosecuted for direct cooperation in the act of accepting and disposing of monuments that are the products of crime, of particularly high value. At the same time, the 43-year-old is being prosecuted for the misappropriation of monuments of particularly high value, carried out jointly, professionally and as a follow-up, as well as for violating the obligation to declare monuments.