A 61-year-old German tourist is potentially facing a decade in a Greek prison after he was caught attempting to smuggle an ancient marble column out of the country.
The incident occurred when the man was apprehended at the port of Patras on Saturday night. He was trying to board a ferry to Italy with the stolen artifact concealed in his vehicle, according to local media reports. Officials from the Patras Port Authority discovered the column during a routine check.
Greek law treats antiquities trafficking with severity, with potential sentences reaching up to 12 years, reflecting the country’s commitment to preserving its rich archaeological heritage. After his arrest, an archaeologist from the Antiquities Authority of Achaia confirmed the authenticity of the column, although its precise age and origin are still undetermined.
The Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy stated, “According to the assessment of an archaeologist from the Antiquities Authority of Achaia, it is an ancient object to which the legal provisions for the protection of antiquities and cultural heritage in general apply.”
The German tourist was held at the port authority for two days before appearing before an investigating judge on Monday. He defended himself in court by claiming he had bought the column near the Acropolis in Athens, under the impression it was a replica. However, authorities are skeptical of this claim, suspecting it to be an attempt to avoid prosecution.
The judge has ordered further investigation and released the man on parole, with the condition that he cannot leave Greece until the case is resolved. The artifact has been seized and will be analyzed by the Greek Antiquities Office to trace its origin.
In addition to the vehicle, the Central Port Authority of Patras also seized the German’s cellphone and laptop for further examination by the Port Police.
This case highlights ongoing issues with the theft of cultural artifacts, as evidenced by past incidents like the 2019 arrest of a young woman in Italy for stealing tiles from Pompeii, and a French tourist fined in 2018 for taking Roman artifacts from the same site. There have also been instances of tourists returning stolen items from various locations, including Pompeii.
In a related effort to preserve natural heritage, the island of Skiathos, known for its picturesque beaches where scenes from the movie “Mamma Mia!” were filmed, faced a similar issue with tourists taking pebbles from Lalaria Beach as souvenirs. In 2018, to combat the alarming rate at which the beach was being stripped of its stones, officials installed ‘Lalaria Beach return boxes’ at Skiathos airport, encouraging tourists to return the pebbles they had taken. This initiative was part of a broader campaign to protect the island’s natural beauty and prevent environmental degradation.