More than 22,000 ancient artifacts from around the world, some of which date back 5,000 years, were seized by officials in Florida in an effort to disrupt criminal networks involved in smuggling cultural property, the authorities said.
The items include vases, weapons, jewelry and mosaic picture frames, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said in a statement on Friday. The agency said the seizure was among the largest of its Homeland Security Investigations unit.
The artifacts also include Egyptian statues and Byzantine glass vessels as well as ancient Greek and Roman coins, the statement said.
“The artifacts in this case that are determined to be genuine will be one of a kind, and H.S.I. wants to take every step necessary to ensure a civilization’s history is preserved for generations to come,” Mary Cook, a senior adviser in the unit’s Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities program, said in the statement.
Initial assessments indicate that some objects may have originated from civilizations from 1,000 to 5,000 years ago and come from sites in Europe, Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, according to ICE.
The authorities did not say where or when the recovery took place and did not provide details about any arrests or charges. ICE did not immediately respond to an inquiry on Sunday.
The agency noted that the identification of the artifacts would take time because “unlike narcotics, there is no field test for antiquities.”
The agency added that officials would work with experts from universities to help identify and authenticate the items. Those schools include the University of South Florida and the University of Pennsylvania.
ICE said it “targets criminal networks involved in the theft, smuggling and sale of artifacts,” such as those stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
“The trafficking of cultural property not only robs civilizations of their heritage, but also channels money into transnational criminal organizations, results in international financial crimes and, in some cases, even funds terrorist activities,” Micah McCombs, acting special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa, said in the statement.
Officials said these types of investigations aim to preserve artifacts and return them to their countries of origin.
“The international demand for cultural property makes the theft a highly profitable crime, with relatively low risk compared to offenses such as narcotics smuggling,” ICE said.
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