A German tourist who attempted to smuggle an ancient Greek marble column out of the country has been arrested and now faces an up to 12-years prison term.
The 61-year-old man was arrested at the Port of Patras earlier in the week while he was ready to embark to a ferry to Italy in his car. According to local media, Patras Port Authority officials discovered the ancient artifact hidden in his car during a routine check.
The German native is now facing a sentence of up to 12 years in prison under the new, stricter law on smuggling cultural property. In recent years, Hellenic Police (EL.AS) has established the Cultural Heritage and Antiquities department for dealing with such crimes.
The antiquities trafficking law amended since 2008 aims to safeguard Greece’s cultural heritage from illegal activities that threaten its preservation. Antiquities trafficking is a serious criminal offense.
An archaeologist of the Antiquities Ephorate of Achaia in Patras confirmed the authenticity of the ancient Greek column. However, it is too early to determine its precise age and origin.
The official statement from the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy reads: “According to the assessment of an archaeologist from the Antiquities Ephorate of Achaia, it is an ancient object to which the legal provisions for the protection of antiquities and cultural heritage in general apply.”
German tourist claim ancient Greek column is a replica
The German tourist was held at the local Port Authority jail before appearing before the judge in court. He claimed that the ancient Greek column is a replica that he bought near the Acropolis in Athens. However, the investigator is not entirely convinced of the man’s innocence.
The judge has ordered further investigation on the issue and released the man on parole, with the condition that he cannot leave Greece until the case is resolved. Port Authority has seized the artifact for further research on its origin.
The Patras Port Authority also seized the suspect’s cellphone and laptop for further investigation by the police.
In a similar antiquities smuggling case, in May 2024 Greek police recovered antiquities including a kouros statue torso and an ancient gold coin among other artifacts before they were sold for millions by antiquity smugglers.
According to the official announcement by the Hellenic Police, an extensive operation by the Cultural Heritage and Antiquities department took place in Megara, Pefki, and Oinophyta which led to the identification and arrest of three people for illegal possession of “ancient movable monuments”, with the rare coin and the Kuros torso among them.
