A court in the city of Thessaloniki has imposed stiff sentences on four men, after finding them guilty of digging up and transporting antiquities worth an estimated €12 million ($15.85 million), which had been illegally excavated from a cemetery in northern Greece. Two men received life jail sentences, and two more men were sentenced to 20 and 16 years, respectively.
The severity of Friday’s sentences was due to the high market value of the loot — more than 70 artifacts from the 6th century B.C. These included gold masks, four helmets, a glass perfume bottle, small clay statues, part of a gold diadem and parts of an iron sword decorated with gold leaf. Archaeologists are currently excavating an ancient cemetery near Thessaloniki where the finds came from.There have recently been a number of antiquity busts in Thessaloniki, but it seemsthat the case we are now witnessing the end of was reported here on 7 October 2011: "Artefacts seized in Thessaloniki".
Associated Press, 'Greek court gives life sentences to 2 convicted of dealing in illegally excavated antiquities', December 21 2012.
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