Antiquities Seized Near Paphos (Updated)

On February 27th, the Paphos CID detectives, acting on a tip, raided a house in Peyia in Cyprus owned by a 58-year old Cypriot man. the home owner was arrested for illegal possession of ancient artefacts. Detectives found: 58 amphorae, 20 golden artefacts and six swords from the Hellenistic period (323-31BC). These items were confiscated, along with five firearms dating to the early 20th century, a Russian AK-47, a metal detector, coins, jewellery, gold chalices and €9.411 in cash. The owner could not provide convincing explanations as to the provenance of any of the objects. He will be placed trial before the Paphos District Court. 

Sources: 

"Arrest after Antiquities Stash Found at Home of Paphos Man." Cyprus Mail, 28 Feb. 2014.

"Stolen Relics Arrest." Cyprus.com. Philenews. 28 Feb. 2014.

UPDATE April 16th 2014 
Christiana O'Connell-Schizas ('Cyprus: Antiquities bust in Aphrodite’s city' ARCA blog, April 16, 2014) adds:

finding looted antiquities in Cypriot houses, particularly in more remote areas of the island, is very common. The [same] day [as this man] was arrested, gun shots were heard in Peristerona. Two days later, four men -- two with gunshots wounds -- were arrested and the incident was attributed to an attempt to settle a score between rival gangs. According to a person working in the Department of Antiquities, upon inspection of one of the men's houses, illicitly excavated antiquities were found. No newspaper published this event and I only came to know about it from a discussion with the unnamed individual working in the Department of Antiquities.

O'Connell-Schizas asks whether all these busts are in some way related to one another.

Is each individual smuggling their contraband abroad and selling it themselves on the grey market or is there a 'Medici/Becchina' figure who is facilitating the sale of antiquities? In 2010, police caught a cartel of ten smugglers that were attempting to sell 4,000-year old urns, silver coins and figurines, worth an estimate of €11 million (approximately $15 million). Could their associates still be in 'business'? How large and how far does this ring of organised crime extend in Cyprus?

Quoting: 
"Cyprus Antiquities SmugglingRing Broken up." BBC News. BBC, 25 Jan. 2010
Psillides, Constantinos " New Arrest in Case of Peristerona Shoot-out" Cyprus Mail. N.p., 15 Mar. 2014