SSU and Spanish law enforcement officers detained smugglers who wanted to sell Ukrainian "Scythian gold" for more than 60 million euros in Madrid. PHOTOS
The Security Service of Ukraine jointly with the BES and the police of the Kingdom of Spain neutralised a transnational criminal group that illegally exported "Scythian gold" products from Ukraine for sale in the EU.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press centre of the SSU.
As noted, as a result of an international special operation in Madrid, five gang members were detained who tried to illegally sell Ukrainian artefacts. Among the detainees is a representative of the UOC (MP) from Ukraine.
"During the investigation, 11 stolen gold items of our country's cultural heritage worth more than €60 million were seized from the criminals. These are precious items dating back to the eighth and fourth centuries BC, including gold earrings, a pendant, chokers and a pectoral," the statement said.
According to the investigation, the defendants illegally exported the artefacts from Ukraine to the European Union between 2014 and 2020.
The criminals then tried to "legalise" the stolen cultural property under the guise of purchasing it by foreign collectors and reselling it on the black market.
The SSU emphasises that law enforcement officers gradually documented the criminal actions of the defendants and detained them red-handed while transporting Ukrainian artefacts.
The investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.
"The seized antiquities have been seized and an expert opinion has been obtained that they belong to the cultural heritage of Ukraine.
In addition, comprehensive measures are being taken to establish the location of all Ukrainian artefacts of the Scythian Gold that were stolen from the territory of our state," the SSU added.
The special operation was conducted under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office, in cooperation with the Office of the Attaché of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Spain in Ukraine and the International Cooperation Department of the Spanish National Police.
