A 63 year old antiquarian the Greek Police in Thessaloniki “caught” him, who was about to fly to Germany and illegally take ancient coins out of the country, which he illegally possessed.

The 63-year-old was arrested yesterday morning and the police they found in his jacket, carefully hidden, 6 ancient coins.

In searches carried out in houses in Serres, dozens of other ancient coins and a copper ring were found.

As ELAS states in its announcement, according to the opinion of a competent archaeologist of the aforementioned Archaeological Service, the seized coins belong, as the case may be, to the ancient Greek period (5th century BC – 1st century BC), to the Roman imperial period ( 1st century BC-3rd century AD), in the Byzantine period (4th century AD-13th century AD) and in the Ottoman period (15th century AD-18th century AD) .) and the ancient ring during the historical period of the 4th century BC. – 5th century AD

The announcement of the General Police Directorate of Thessaloniki states:
The appropriate utilization of information and the ongoing investigation by police officers of the Department of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities of the Directorate of Security of Thessaloniki, led to the arrest of a 63-year-old citizen, against whom a case file was filed for violation of the Legislation regarding “Sanction of the Code of Legislation for the Protection of Antiquities and in genera of the cultural heritage”, “Breach of the obligation to declare a monument” and “Illegal export of cultural goods”.

In particular, in the early hours of yesterday (13-12-2023) an organized operation was carried out at the “Macedonia” airport, where the above was located and in his possession three (3) ancient coins were found and confiscated, which were carefully hidden inside his jacket, while in a shoulder bag, six (6) ancient coins, a mobile phone, and a return boarding pass for a city in Germany were additionally found.

In addition, in lawful searches, which were carried out in the presence of a judicial officer, in houses in the Serres area, (80) ancient coins, (1) a bronze ring, coin cleaning tools, a number of documents relating to antiquities and (1) a bronze mask were found and confiscated , with all of the confiscated items falling within the protective provisions of the “Antiquities” law, according to an opinion of the Antiquities Ephorate of Serres.

In more detail, according to the opinion of a competent archaeologist of the above archaeological service, the confiscated coins belong, as the case may be, to the ancient Greek period (5th century BC – 1st century BC), to the Roman imperial period (1st century BC -3rd century AD), in the Byzantine period (4th century AD-13th century AD) and in the Ottoman period (15th century AD-18th century AD) and the ancient ring during the historical period of the 4th century BC. – 5th century AD.

The arrested person, with the file filed against him, will be taken to the competent judicial authorities.