Penalties imposed for illicit dealing of antiquated art relics in Hamburg
In the trial back in March, two aged defendants, who were 84 and 88 years old, attempted to sell some precious artifacts to a curator. These artifacts consisted of a golden drinking horn from the Thracian era, golden belt pieces from the Sassanid empire, and a massive Hittite stele weighing over 600 kilos, among other items.
As per the prosecution, these treasures were allegedly stolen and illegally traded. The public prosecutor's office claimed that the curator feigned interest in the offer before secretly contacting the cops. Initially, three other individuals were charged with extortion in this case. Unfortunately, one of them died, and charges were not brought against another. The proceedings against the third individual were dropped.
Apparently, the 84-year-old defendant was known as a European-wide dealer of ancient cultural artifacts. Prosecutors accused him of teaming up with the other defendants in 2012 to sell valuable ancient art pieces to museums in Hamburg. The trio reportedly demanded a staggering 1.5 million Euros in cash for the golden Thracian drinking horn alone.
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The Hamburg District Court fined the 84-year-old defendant, known for his trade in ancient cultural artifacts, a significant amount for his involvement in the illegal sale of art treasures like the golden Thracian drinking horn, gold belt pieces from the Sassanid empire, and a massive Hittite stele. The two elderly men were also hit with fines for their part in the illicit dealing of these cultural assets. Men across Europe should take note of these fines as a deterrent against engaging in such unlawful activities related to antique art relics. The overall fine imposed on the defendants for the illegal trade of these valuable art treasures in Hamburg was substantial.
