Two looters of Corsican archaeological sites indicted

Two looters of ancient objects were arrested on Friday “in flagrante delicto” in Aléria (Haute-Corse) and indicted on Saturday in particular for “degradation in a meeting of archaeological heritage”, we learned on Monday from the Bastia prosecutor François Thévenot. These two people were arrested when they had just carried out illegal excavations on the archaeological site of the ancient city of Aléria, François Thévenot, interim public prosecutor of Bastia, told AFP, confirming information from France 3 Corsica. This investigation concerns “several hundred objects or fragments of ancient objects illegally extracted from the site” which is freely accessible, said the prosecutor.

Presented to an investigating judge on Saturday, the two people arrested were “indicted and placed under arrest warrant”, added François Thévenot, specifying that the main offenses targeted are “degradation in an assembly of archaeological heritage” and “theft aggravated and concealment of archaeological discovery from unauthorized excavation.

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The gendarmes of the Ajaccio research section, supported by the Aléria and Ghisonaccia brigades, also discovered detection equipment during the searches in this investigation which gave rise to “several months of surveillance”, the site of 'Aléria having been “regularly visited since the start of the year” by looters, the magistrate said. “Given the number of objects discovered, it is a team which operated in the usual way on the site,” he added, specifying that “the investigation continues”.