In a sweeping crackdown spanning 23 countries, European and international authorities have delivered a stinging blow to the underworld of cultural looters and art forgers.
The ninth edition of Operation Pandora—codenamed Pandora IX—has netted 80 arrests and led to the recovery of nearly 38,000 cultural artefacts, from ancient coins and paintings to musical instruments and religious icons.
Orchestrated under the watchful eye of Spain’s Guardia Civil, this year’s operation saw unprecedented coordination between Europol, INTERPOL, and the World Customs Organization (WCO), reflecting the increasing sophistication of those who exploit the vestiges of human civilisation for profit.
Over the course of 2024, investigators pursued a tangle of illicit trades that criss-crossed borders and platforms—from protected archaeological sites in Spain to the shadowy depths of online marketplaces. The results are staggering: 258 investigations launched, 37,727 items seized, and more to come as probes continue.
Among the most striking finds was a painting attributed to avant-garde Italian artist Jannis Kounellis, seized by Italy’s renowned Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Experts later deemed the artwork a fake, but had it been genuine, it would have fetched as much as €100,000—a stark reminder of the lucrative nature of art forgery.
Italy’s Carabinieri also disrupted a major e-commerce-based trafficking operation, recovering over 300 ancient artefacts—including Roman and Punic coins, arrowheads and ceramic fragments—hidden in a private apartment. The looters had turned to online platforms to discreetly auction off their illicit treasures, a trend that has become all too common in recent years.
Spain, meanwhile, delivered its own decisive blows. In the province of Cáceres, the Guardia Civil dismantled a criminal gang responsible for raiding protected archaeological sites with metal detectors. The looters had plundered 2,500 Roman coins from the ancient city of Tamusia, later attempting to flog them on social media.
Further north, in Palma de Mallorca, a passenger was stopped while boarding a flight to Germany with 55 ancient coins and a ring in his possession. The ensuing investigation uncovered a wider network involved in the plundering of underwater wrecks and archaeological sites, culminating in the seizure of 1,576 coins and 64 other culturally significant items.
Elsewhere in Europe, Greece’s Department of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities struck gold—figuratively—by recovering five Byzantine icons. Acting on intelligence and aided by undercover officers, authorities arrested three individuals attempting to hawk the icons for a cool €70,000.
Even war-torn Ukraine saw victories. Customs officials seized 87 cultural goods being smuggled out of the country into neighbouring Poland, Moldova, and Romania—proof that even in times of conflict, the black market for antiquities does not rest.
One of the most innovative aspects of Pandora IX was its cyber patrols. In an age where looters increasingly prefer keystrokes to spades, investigators turned their gaze to the digital realm. Scouring e-commerce sites and social media platforms, they uncovered a slew of illegal sales that led to the confiscation of 4,298 cultural items. The message is clear: the internet is no longer a safe haven for traffickers.
The scale and success of Pandora IX were made possible by a latticework of international cooperation. Europol provided real-time intelligence sharing, data analysis, and even hosted a dedicated cyber patrol week. INTERPOL leveraged its Stolen Works of Art database and ID-Art mobile app to identify pieces and coordinate across borders. Meanwhile, the WCO facilitated secure communication via its CENcomm platform and worked closely with Eastern and Central European customs offices.
Launched in 2016, Operation Pandora has grown into a cornerstone of the global fight against cultural heritage trafficking. It is part of the EU’s broader EMPACT initiative—designed to tackle organised crime threats with a multi-agency approach. Now in its ninth iteration, Pandora is proving more essential than ever.
As the artefacts return to museums and authorities continue their investigations, one thing is abundantly clear: the looters, smugglers, and online traffickers who thought the world’s cultural heritage was theirs for the taking have underestimated the resolve of those sworn to protect it.
In a world where wars rage, economies falter, and digital anonymity emboldens the worst actors, Pandora IX stands as a rare moment of order—a reminder that civilisation’s most sacred relics still have defenders willing to fight for them.
Main Image: EUROPOL.
