Spanish police say they have confiscated ancient gold jewelry worth millions taken from Ukraine
Associated PressOCT 2023
Since the conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014, international and Ukrainian authorities have been concerned about the protection of historical objects kept in museums and religious institutions controlled by Russia. Numerous items have been taken and illegally smuggled out of the country and this is the second seizure of stolen archeological artifacts recovered in a week. This is a concerning trend.
There are systems to combat the trafficking of cultural goods, which is the third-largest form of illicit trade in the world. The International Council of Museums has now added Ukraine to its Red List of the world's looting hotspots in an effort to tackle this issue. The recovery of the artifacts in Spain was the result of a joint effort between Europol and Interpol — the uptick of this activity in light of the Ukraine-Russia war can be addressed.