After a month of investigation, the gendarmes of Finistère arrested a man suspected of having looted several archaeological sites in the department. At this individual's home, investigators found many bronzes dating from 800 to 900 BC, a Gallic coin worth several thousand euros as well as daggers, bracelets or military and commercial currency.

According to the gendarmes, the man used metal detectors and invited himself on private land. An authorized practice but which requires the authorization of the owner of the land and the prefecture. In the event of discovery, the law also requires that all archaeological objects found be declared the property of the State. "The looting of archaeological sites and unauthorized excavations feed real networks of illicit trafficking of cultural property," recalls the gendarmerie.



Already suspected at the end of 2022 of reselling products from protected species on the Internet, the defendant has acknowledged the facts "even if he believes to be a simple enthusiast who discovered these objects at random," say the gendarmes. He will soon be summoned to court.

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