MOSCOW, November 24 (RIA Novosti) – Police in Greece announced the arrest of three people involved in a high-profile robbery at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported from Athens.
Local authorities have charged that the three suspects stole 77 artifacts related to the history of the Olympic Games from the museum last February.
Police organized a sting in which they posed as potential buyers of artifacts, which had ended up on the black market, the correspondent reported.
Among the most valuable items was a ring from the 15th century B.C.
Police officials, however, have not specified whether they have been able to return all the stolen artifacts.
According to Greek law, all antiquities of archaeological or artistic value belong to the state. Illegal possession and so-called “black archaeology” are considered serious offenses.
Olympia, an ancient city in southern city, was the original home of the Olympic Games.
