In a co-ordinated crackdown with the likes of Interpol and Europol, the World Customs Organization has recovered more than 19 000 archaeological artefacts and other artworks.
The operation spanned 103 countries and focused on dismantling international networks of art and antiquities traffickers.
101 suspects have been arrested, and 300 investigations opened. The goods and artwork were looted from war-stricken countries and stolen from museums and archaeological sites.
The monitoring of online market places and sales sites on the Internet proved an important tool.
During what was called a ‘cyber patrol week’, police and customs experts along with Europol, Interpol and the WCO mapped active targets and developed intelligence packages. As a result, 8 670 cultural objects for online sale were seized. This represents 28% of the total number recovered during this crackdown.