Yemen starts trials in Artefact Offences

In Yemen two separate cases involving antiquities began this week. The accused men include a  British national: 

Raginder Singh Freddy from the UK, who was accused of smuggling, was arrested by Yemeni authorities in mid-January. They found small statues and stones with [inscriptions in] ancient south Arabian alphabet [...]. Freddy worked as a finance manager in a privately-owned Yemeni oil company. The general prosecutor urged the court to imprison him for smuggling the country’s national relics and buying nine artefacts from Yemenis.

A second trial began on Monday too. This involved alleged members of a gang which included in its structure corrupt government employees as members and were reportedly involved in the theft and sale of ancient swords and rare Quranic texts from the national museum last year:

Headed by a Syrian national who is currently an escapee, the ring was operated by Yemenis working for anti-smuggling authorities, as well as security forces and Sanaa airport employees.

Al Arabiya News, 'Yemen starts trials of artifacts smugglers', Monday, 24 February 2014.