French Couple Caught Metal Detecting in Spain

Spanish police have arrested a 47-year-old woman and 31-year-old man, both French nationals, for allegedly metal detecting on an archaeological site in Catalonia. The ruins of a number of Greek and Roman buildings exist on the Empúries archaeological site, just outside the town of L'Escala and 35 km south of the French border.  Officers became suspicious of the couple sitting in a car oddly parked on the dirt road running behind the site, they searched the vehicle and the couple, finding two metal detectors, two picks, and other tools and a number of dugup artefacts: 

“Given where they were, the officers searched the vehicle and the two occupants. They found tools used in archaeological excavations," police explained in a statement on Thursday. “They also found in the pair's clothes several coins, brooches, and other metal objects covered in rust and earth," the statement continued. According to AFP, evidence of digging was found in the area. Police said they counted 33 holes in the ground, many of which appeared to have been excavated recently.

The suspects have been charged with theft and crimes against historical heritage.

Henri Neuendorf, 'French Couple Arrested in Spain for Looting Archeological Site' ArtNet News Monday, August 24, 2015