In cooperation with one of the Regional Directorates of Cultural Affairs (RDCA) and the National Office of Hunting and Wildlife (NOHW), on 3 February 2016 the Criminal Prosecution Service of the French Customs (Service National de Douane Judiciaire) made a seizure of hundreds of archeological objects and endangered wildlife products in the private house of the person, who was running a website selling these objects on the Internet. The seized objects include prehistorical (paleolithic and neolithic) objects from the African continent and the Mediterranean basin, more than 500 arrowheads in sharpened flints, antiquities (ceramics, lamps etc.) from North Africa, iron and bronze Roman objects, coins, rings, belt buckles of the Gallic epoch and medieval coins. Three elephant tusks and two tusks cut in pieces were also seized along with monkey skulls, heads of alligators, two python skins, dozens of scorpions and panther claws.
The success of this case would have not been possible without coordinated activities of the French Customs, RDCA and NOHW aimed at the identification and dismantling of networks involved into illicit trafficking of cultural objects and protected species and their subsequent sale on the Internet.
Source: French Customs
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