Three Years for "Metal Detecting"

plunderers or partners?

Here is a story you'll not see on the blog of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, Spain state asks for three years in prison for gang of archaeological looters (Juan Esteban Poveda 'Piden tres años de cárcel a cuatro 'piteros' por expolio arqueológico' April 6 2016) Three men and a woman will go on trial soon for metal detecting in Spain. Known only by the initials "J.F.M.R.", "J.F.C.", "J.M.C.F" and "M.T.J.", their homes were raided and police found artefacts there worth more than 20,000 euros in the home of three of them:

1) On 24 June 2014 the police reportedly made a raid on the home of J.F.C., and found a collection of coins, arrowheads, buttons, ornaments and other artefacts priced at 2,880 euros.
2) J.M.C.R. reportedly had coins in a bag and a metal detector. This defendant said he was going to show the artefacts to the authorities.
3)  Reportedly in the possession of J.F.M.R. in Villargordo, police found coins, pottery sherds, arrowheads and other items worth more than 17,000 euros. He also had a metal detector.
4) At the house of M.T.J. it is reported that police seized a metal detector, two coins and ornaments priced at 10 euros. 

The Prosecutor specifically notes in his indictment the fact that there was no scientific documentation found with the artefacts, so their collection has destroyed the context in which lies much of its historical value.The four reportedly will go on trial accused of plundering archaeological sites with their metal detectors between at least April and June 2014 near the Torres river, and in the municipalities of Villatorres and Torres. Some of the finders had rudimentary archaeological knowledge, especially one of the accused who had worked as a volunteer in some legal archaeological projects.

Not only will you not see it on the PAS blog, most "responsible metal detectorists" in the UK are keeping pretty quiet about it.  Of course none of them ever go metal detecting in Spain, do they?

Hat tip Donna Yates