illicit trafficking archivos

18Jun2018

What’s going on with the Christopher Columbus Charters?

18 June, 2018

Christopher Columbus, forgery, illicit trafficking, Restitution, stolen antiquties Cases

Last June 6th, 2018, a ceremony at the Embassy of Spain in the United States, in Washington, took place to return one of the incunabula copies of the Charter of Christopher Columbus, printed in 1493, stolen years before the National Library of Catalonia and found and seized by the North American authorities.

The story of this document seems a spy novel since it brings together all kinds of factors: mystery, theft, counterfeiting, smuggling, shady business, international projection, money and, above all, fascination.

22May2018

Blood Antiquities: the connection between trafficking of cultural goods and terrorism

22 May, 2018

Marta Suárez-Mansilla

antiquities, art law, cultural goods, daesh, illicit trafficking Cases

Late in March 2018, Spanish Police arrested J. B. and O. C. in Barcelona for their participation in a criminal network which traded with Libyan antiquities used to finance the DAESH. It is the first police operation that demonstrates the direct financing of the terrorist group by looting archaeological pieces, although there were well-founded suspicions to believe that it was a usual source of income from the beginning of its activity all over the territories they controlled.