Two arrested over attempted theft of archaeological remains in Cartagena

Police were alerted in the early hours after a call to the National Police’s CIMACC 091 control room reporting two hooded individuals inside the site while it was closed to the public. The suspects had allegedly gained entry by climbing over the perimeter fence.

Officers found the pair crouching beside the remains, attempting to place them in a sports bag and carrying a screwdriver. Investigators established that the artefact belonged to a 3rd-century BC amphora, with similar remains located nearby. In antiquity, such vessels were commonly used to transport or store goods including oil, wine and salted fish, and in some cases were also used as burial containers for newborn infants.

The extent of the damage has not yet been assessed, although the pieces are considered of significant importance to the city’s heritage. The two men have been handed over to the courts.

Police have been fighting against treasure hunters looting archaological sites for decades. Three years ago they recovered 119 "extraordinarily valuable" items found in a store in the Cordoban town of Baeza, which had been stolen from sites.