Artefacts Looted in Middle East Conflicts Today 'May not Surface for Decades'

Dave Lawler, ' Ancient treasures looted by ISIS may not surface for decades', Axios 7th August 2017.

In a Sunday deep dive, the Wall Street Journal has traced the path of artefacts looted by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and found parallels with the Nazi art looting some 70 years prior:

"ISIS's territorial grip is fading fast... but the group's legacy of looting will linger for many years, in much the same way that art looted by the Nazis continues to surface 70 years later. The ancient statues, jewelry and artifacts that ISIS has stolen in Syria and Iraq, are already moving underground and may not surface for decades."

[...] Most artifacts go first to Turkey or Lebanon. Next they're typically sent to Eastern Europe or Asia, before being sold to buyers in Western Europe (oftentimes Switzerland or Germany) or the U.S. They often sit in warehouses for years, and ownership histories are fabricated. It could be decades before many of the artifacts are sold publicly.