Two arrested over sale of ISIL-looted antiques in Spain

APD NEWS

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Two Spanish art experts have been arrested on suspicion of running a ring that sold antiques looted from archaeological sites in Libya by groups linked to ISIL, police said Wednesday.

Officers seized "numerous works of art", including seven mosaics and a sarcophagus, during raids carried out in five locations in Barcelona and the nearby town of Argentona as part of their operation, police said in a statement.

The works were stolen from archaeological sites in Libya's eastern coastal region of Cyrenaica and northern region of Tripolitania, which are home to some of the finest Roman and Greek ruins in existence.

The two men, who were arrested as part of the operation, are both Spanish nationals aged 31. They work as experts in ancient art.

"They led a network that illegally bought works looted from archaeological sites by groups linked to the terrorist group Daesh, helping to finance its activities," police said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.

(AFP)