Three people, two women and a man, were arrested in Thessaloniki for violation of the legislation relating to Protection of Antiquities and cultural heritage in general.

The appropriate use of information by its police officers Department of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities of the Directorate of Security, Thessalonikis, led to their arrest, one 61-year-old citizenher of his 55-year-old wife and one 83-year-old womanagainst whom a case was filed for violation of the Legislation concerning the protection of antiquities.

As part of an organized police operation, searches were carried out yesterday in two residences of the arrested, in the areas of Kalamaria and Panorama, as well as in a semi-basement storage area used by the couple in Kalamaria, where objects of historical, religious and cultural importance falling within the protective provisions were found and confiscated of the relevant legislation.

Specifically, in the house and the storage space of the first two people were found:

– Gold ring with semi-precious ring stone and intaglio.

– Wooden portable icon with a representation of the Virgin Mary in the Rodon to Amaranton pictorial type, owned by the 83-year-old woman, according to the Certificate of Ownership.

– Two wooden portable icons with representations of Saint Basil and Saint Panteleimon, also owned by the 83-year-old, according to the Certificate of Ownership.

– Four wooden portable icons with representations of the Prophet Elias, Saint Lazarus, Saint Irene and the Holy Trinity, respectively.

– Metal cross.

– Ellipsoid metal icon depicting the Annunciation.

– Metal engraving depicting the Archangel and Saint George.

– Metal icon depicting Saint Demetrius.

– Metal triptych icon with hanging loop and representation of Saint George and Archangels.

– Double-sided wooden casket, with inner fabric lining, containing three items namely, a metal blessing cross with a wooden core, a metal circular base of the cross and a self-contained small metal cross with a hanging loop on the top of the cross, made with a wire technique and inlaid with adjectives semi-precious stones.

– Bronze Chalice with conical base.

– Brass screw of Holy Communion with cruciform finial.

– Metal triptych with various hagiological representations, with green, red, blue and white enamel.

– Metal triptych with performances and metal chain.

– Metal triptych with reliefs.

– Inscribed, metal relief tile, with a representation of Constantine and Helen.

– Two laminated pamphlets with performances.

– Metal cross with reliefs, suspended from an elongated chain.

– Certificate of ownership of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Thessaloniki in the name of the 83-year-old.

At the home of the 83-year-old:

-Two leaves of a triptych, Saint Nicholas and Saint George the Dragon Slayer, respectively,

– Two icons, Virgin Mary the Infant Guide and Luke the Apostle, respectively,

– Metal polyhedron with built-in images of saints, 10 images of saints in six metal frames

– An ancient silver coin, obverse head, reverse lyre, which were shown to competent archaeologists and found to fall within the provisions of the legislation for the protection of antiquities and cultural heritage in general.

Those arrested, with the case filed against them, will be taken to the competent Prosecutor, while all of the confiscated items are sent to the competent Antiquities Tax Office for safekeeping, examination and final archaeological and commercial assessment.