By representing them hunter They were illegally looking for ancient in the infamous area of ​​Tomb of Casta, in Amphipolis of Serres, the ones involved in antiquity circuit which were solved by police officers from the Cultural Heritage Office and Antiquities of the Organized Crime of Northern Greece.

As shown by the conversations located in the hands of ELAS. and Voria.gr reveals They did not hesitate to even search on the hill where her great tomb was discovered Amphipolisindifferent to security measures in the area.

Today 23 arrested will begin to apologize to Investigators of Thessaloniki and Serres As criminal prosecutions have been brought against them for heavy offensesincluding a criminal organization, embezzlement of monuments, illegal export of cultural goods, illegal excavation and archaeological research, acceptance and disposition of monuments and more. Most of them deny the categories.

In the massive case file formed after the large police investigation included dozens of telephone conversations from whom the defendants appear to be proceeding to Illegal excavations in various placesespecially archaeological among them the area of ​​Amphipolis, as well as the monastery of the Holy Prodromos Serres.

How was the ancient circuit out

The law enforcement authorities reached their traces watching initially 63 -year -old who has been involved in the past. He had been arrested in April 2023, accused of trying to send coins to Germany in a container of oil. He had been arrested in 2011 for ancient possession. A meeting with a 65 -year -old from Serres also familiar to the authorities began to unravel the case of the case. The latter had been arrested and this December of 2023 at Macedonia Airportaccused he tried to export to his jacket lining and a bag ancient coins. Two years earlier he had been arrested again with a large number of coins. This contact in Lefkona Serres led the authorities to the three circuits, two in Serres and one in Thessaloniki.

In Thessaloniki, the 63 -year -old is described as head of one team and according to the case file was the estimator and link to send objects abroad, either to collectors or auction houses. It is characteristic that only one day last November becomes perceived to do Five meetings in equal number of houses in three countiesin areas near archaeological sites. He is burdened in the indictment by selling more than 2,000 ancient coins found in possession of Russian last January.

“It is a big deal, but the tension does not concern all the detainees, it is limited to some. Some unfortunately have taken their stream, ” He noted by speaking to Voria.gr by defense lawyer Konstantinos Tolidis, arguing that the only relationship of his client was to contact the accused leader. “It is a serious affair that has many aspects, but let’s wait for the defendants to formulate their positions. My client denies any involvement in an organization, nothing to do with this kind of offenses, “ For his part, the other one of the defense lawyers of Thessaloniki Nikos Tsangaridis said.

Taking the thread from the 65 -year -old police officers arrived at two groups of Serreswhose members are accused of constantly proceed to illegal excavations. Especially for the plans of two of the arrested of one group of Serres, the talks included in the case file lead to Tomb Casta.

The apocalyptic dialogues

“I say on Sunday because it ends the hunting‘, He says one of the defendants who has conveyed that he will represent the hunter with a dog and a weapon, and his interlocutor will at the same time look for ancient times so as not to suspect. “Is last opportunity And in the place across the side will be, hill I will go to you ”, He tells him and shows that his co -defendant hesitates. ‘Oh don’t crumple us’, He reacts to receive the answer that they have no problem will not understand them. “It’s just nice, serious, it’s not the plate”they end up in the conversation, giving an appointment for the next.

In another conversation they speak of ‘archaeological wanderings“, As they call research, noting that they also identified ancient cemeteries. ‘I see the memories here’, observes one in the conversations recorded. “Skeletons are looking if you look. But it’s Turkish, is it now? Not I know what it is. But head or backbone Looks at one bam, bam ‘, report.

It is noteworthy that in talks that the police closed were also encountered by a person who has been imprisoned in the past for a large case of archaeologists, without becoming a defendant. “Often in these cases the prosecutions are ‘loaded’ and in terms of category and as far as persons who are ultimately accused,” said lawyer Theodoris Karagiannis, one of the defense lawyers. “As for the prosecution that has moved to the Serres area, it is a case that does not have the evidence, at least to our client, to condemn the criminal organization – gang” for a criminal act “he ended up.

“Are you digging again?”

Accused head of one group He is a 63 -year -old employee of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Serres, which arrested. According to the case file, this person is an absolute recipient of all information both farmers and hunters, but as well as members of his team with whom they are accused of making illegal excavations. The police even say it has a strategic role, makes evaluations for excavations and findings, gives directions And it makes the final decisions.

This is described as a person who has direct access to information on archaeological areas.

It is even indicative that the 63 -year -old is appointed as a supervisor on the part of his service in legal excavations to find a treasure in the area.

Characteristic is the conversation recorded in the case file with a discussion of the ability to detect metals to accurately detect coins. “Gold has“, Asks him his interlocutor and the employee replies”If it has gold I wouldn’t get out? Ah some questions you ask ».

This group was identified to do investigations at area of ​​the Monastery of Holy Prodromos Serres, in Crashin the Sidirokastro area of ​​Serres and in areas where there are ancient tombs. In another conversation with one woman, unknown in the case file, he asks where he is and when the employee replies that he is in the area of ​​the Holy Prodromos Monastery, the answer he receives is “again dig?” And he reacts by saying that it doesn’t mean that he goes digging.

The police officers in their investigations seized ancient coins and other objects. According to the first estimates of archaeologists, a helmet of Illyrian type, as well as some other small objects. A large number of metal detectors were also seized.