London Archaeologists Hear About the Illicit Art and Antiquities Trade

Detective Sergeant Vernon Rapley of Scotland Yard's Art and Antiques Unit has recently given a series of lectures to students at my alma mater, the University College London's Institute of Archaeology. He described the current status of the illicit art and antiquities trade and its effects on the London art market. Apparently he described how illicit art objects find their way to rising markets in the Middle East including Dubai, and to other regions, such as China, where they are exchanged for counterfeit goods. He suggested that these include items stolen from existing collections to order to reflect the destination to which it is being trafficked.