International Trafficking Operation Leads to 85 Arrests and the Recovery of Thousands of Artworks and Artifacts

Pandora VIII, an annual joint operation between customs and law enforcement authorities from 25 countries against international art trafficking, led by the Spanish Guardia Civil and supported by Europol and INTERPOL, led to 85 arrests and the recovery of more than 6,400 cultural goods.

According to INTERPOL, the operation involved several thousand checks at airports, ports, border crossings, auction houses, museums, and private residences. Law enforcement also conducted 6,000 online checks, leading to the recovery of 580 stolen goods. A total of 113 criminal and 137 administrative cases are still ongoing, with more arrests and seizures expected.

Participating countries included Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Serbia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

In one key case resulting from a collaboration between Spain and Ukraine, authorities recovered 11 gold items worth over $65 million million linked to money laundering and illicit trafficking of Scythian cultural artifacts. The Spanish Guardia Civil of Córdoba also seized a private collection of 350 objects, including lithic, ceramic, and metal pieces from various archaeological periods. 

Additionally Romanian Police recovered a 19th-century wooden iconostasis stolen from a church and sold online. The Bulgarian Customs Agency seized 432 ancient coins en route from Türkiye to France, and the Greek national police force, the Hellenic Police, seized 43 ancient amphorae, arresting two individuals. Polish National Police recovered 229 objects, some made of ivory, with a total value over $152,000. The Italian Carabinieri seized over 2,000 fragments of ceramic and lithic artifacts, and a contemporary painting valued around $163,000. French authorities seized an illegally exported painting by Vietnamese artist Mai Thứ, valued at $182,000, and the Czech National Police recovered a stolen wooden statue of Saint Bartholomew, dated between 1658 and 1660, that was stolen from the Last Supper Chapel in Římov in 1994 before being sold online. It has been returned to its original owner.

INTERPOL facilitated the exchange of information and supported frontline officers through its Stolen Works of Art Database and ID-Art mobile application. Europol provided analytical and operational support, ensuring effective communication and coordination between participating countries. 

Launched in 2016, Operation Pandora is an annual law enforcement operation within the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), aiming to curb the illicit trafficking of cultural goods through coordinated international efforts.