Greek treasures threatened by austerity
The financial crisis in
Greece has already had far-reaching consequences for many people, but
now it is claiming a new casualty as some of the country's ancient
treasures become a target for thieves.
Detective Gergios Tsoukalis puffs nervously on his cigar. In
the passenger's seat of a taxi, he grapples with four different mobile
phones as he tries to co-ordinate the arrest of yet another antiquities
smuggler.
Greek police are trying to stem the rise in illegal antiquity trading
As the driver pulls into the port, he sees ahead of him that plainclothes police officers have already pounced on the unassuming man, who is completely shocked by the early-morning operation.
Detective Gergios Tsoukalis
We've tracked down ancient Greek antiquities as far away as Columbia - in the hands of drug dealers”
As he is being bundled into a
van, one of the officers shouts at him: "How many of you are there?
Don't mess me around. How many?"
Mr Tsoukalis is less concerned with the accused. He is
following the trail of the treasure. He heads straight to the back of
the suspect's vehicle and pulls out a bag to confirm that these are the
stolen artefacts."These are them, here are the coins," he says with relief, immediately lighting up another cigar.
These moments are what the detective lives for.
Vulnerable artefacts Hunting down illegal traders and saving timeless ancient objects does not just provide him with a rush of adrenaline or a satisfying buzz.
First and foremost, he does this job because he is Greek and cannot stand to see his country's most valuable and vulnerable artefacts in the wrong hands.
There has been a rise in the last three years in illegal trading. According to police reports, there has been a 30% increase since the crisis took hold in 2009.
