Clandestine excavations and trafficking of archaeological artifacts: 11 precautionary measures in Calabria and Sicily.

It clicked Friday December 12, Between Calabria and Sicily, a vast operation of the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage which led to the execution of 11 precautionary measures against an equal number of individuals, held responsible, in various capacities, for being part of a criminal association dedicated to clandestine excavations, defacement of archaeological sites, theft and receiving of archaeological finds.

The order was issued by the Preliminary Investigations Judge of the Court of Catanzaro, at the request of Public Prosecutor's Office - District Anti-Mafia Directorate, who coordinated the entire investigative effort. Two people were taken to prison, while nine were placed under house arrest.

They were carried out at the same time twelve local searches.

Findings and the 'Ndrangheta: the mafia aggravating factor

According to what emerged from the investigations, the crimes in question were also committed with the aim of facilitate the 'Ndrangheta Arena gang, allowing it to consolidate its control of the territory in the area of Isola di Capo Rizzuto, in the Crotone area and in the surrounding areas, in addition to benefiting from the proceeds from the illicit trafficking of cultural goods.

For this reason, the association was charged withmafia aggravating circumstance, believing that the criminal activity was functional to the interests of the gang.

A two-year investigation

The operation is the result of a complex investigative activity conducted by the Cosenza Cultural Heritage Protection Unit, started inOctober 2022 and concluded in theOctober 2024.

The investigations started from investigations initiated by the military, who had found the presence of numerous clandestine excavations within important Calabrian archaeological sites.

In particular, the investigations have documented illicit trafficking of artefacts from Scolacium National Archaeological Parks,ancient Kaulon, Capo Colonna and from other areas, including private ones, in the province of Crotone.

Tomb raiders, intermediaries and receivers

The investigations revealed the existence of a complex criminal structure, composed by tomb raiders, intermediaries and receivers, firmly rooted in the territory.

The archaeological sites would have been systematically looted for the duration of the investigation, fueling a thriving black market of archaeological material.

The individual phases of the illicit activities have been reconstructed through telephone, telematic and environmental interceptions, video footage and seizures carried out during the operations.

Coded language and well-defined roles

The group operated in a manner typical of structured criminal associations, adopting measures to evade law enforcement controls and using communication channels that are difficult to intercept.

References to archaeological finds were often masked with conventional terms, such as “fennel”, “hunting”, “frames”, “coffee”, “asparagus” or “chainsaw”, a word which was used to indicate the metal detector.

At the top of the organization were placed two promoters residing in the Crotone area, archaeology enthusiasts and profound connoisseurs of the places of interest, who planned the clandestine expeditions and directed the group's activities.

The investigations were also carried out thanks to the collaboration of the Superintendence of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Catanzaro and Crotone and of Regional Directorate of Museums of Calabria, who provided a decisive technical contribution.

The operation represents a important signal of response from the State against the illicit trafficking of archaeological finds, a phenomenon particularly widespread in an area rich in vestiges of the past and long exposed to systematic raids.