Security forces thwart illegal antiquity trade in West Bank

Military officials intercepted an antiquities-smuggling ring in the West Bank, IDF officials said in a statement released early Wednesday.

Following a large-scale investigation conducted in secrecy, the Israeli Civil Administration arrested three antiquities smugglers who had hundreds of thousands of shekels worth of rare archaeological finds in their possession.

Lt. Col. Fars Atila told security forces that "the Civil Administration will continue to act in order to protect the archeology sites and heritage treasures in Judea and Samaria and will continue to act against those who try to harm them. This is our duty."

This was not an isolated incident. Several months ago, an antiquities dealer was arrested, prompting the Civil Administration's CMT Archaeology unit to launch an investigation in conjunction with the IOSH Police Department's Investigations and Intelligence division in the Shi district. This investigation uncovered that several antiquities dealers and robbers engaged in both illegal trade and looting in Judea and Samaria.

On Wednesday, this investigation went from covert to overt. Following the publicizing of the investigation, multiple units conducted a raid in Kalil and Huwara to confiscate goods.

Overnight, three antiquity thieves were arrested and their illegal holdings were confiscated by authorities.

What types of items were recovered in the raids?

Of the dozens of items seized, investigators found bowls, jugs, coins, glassware, and many jewels dating back to periods between the Middle Bronze Age (1800 BC) to the Byzantine period (600 AD). These finds also included a variety of 'Beit Natif' candles decorated with a menorah.

In September, hundreds of ancient decorated toga pins, earrings, rings and figurines of animals and idols were found in the home of a man who used to be an antiquities dealer in northern Israel, the Antiquities Authority announced on Thursday.

The Robbery Prevention Unit of the Antiquities Authority had entered the home with a search warrant. The suspect, a 70-year-old man, used to be an antiquities dealer and is suspected of trading in antiquities without a license and smuggling antiquities abroad.

About 270 ancient artifacts were found in the search, including gold, silver and bronze coins from different periods, including coins placed inside modern jewelry.