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Italian police salvage looted Pompeii treasures

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Italian police salvage looted Pompeii treasures
Items were stolen from Pompeii and other archaeological sites in Italy. Pompeii photo: Shutterstock"

Artefacts from Pompeii were found during 147 searches nationwide on Wednesday, as part of a crackdown on the trafficking of Italy's cultural heritage.

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Around 450 police officers were involved in the operation to reclaim artefacts stolen from Italy’s most important archaeological sites.

In addition to those taken from Pompeii, items were also stolen from other sites in the Campania region, as well as Sicily and Puglia, Tgcom24 reported.

The 147 searches were coordinated by anti-mafia authorities in Naples, working alongside local divisions and the police unit charged with protecting Italy’s cultural heritage.

The seizures follow Italy’s discovery last month of 5,361 stolen artefacts, described by Culture Minister Dario Franceschini as the country’s “largest discovery” of its kind.

The items - valued at €45 million - had been sold globally through an Italian-Swiss trafficking ring.

READ MORE: Italy seizes more than 5,000 looted artefacts

Photo by MiBACT

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