Stolen Ancient Jewelry Worth $64 Million Dollars Was Recovered In Spain, And A Priest Was One Of The Five Culprits Of The Crime
Out of the many felonies that can be committed in the world of crime, few are as fascinating or complex as high-stakes robbery.
People will go to great lengths to obtain wealth, looting cash, precious gems, and gold from heavily guarded institutions. However, there’s always the risk of getting caught.
Ancient gold jewelry valued at millions of dollars was recovered in Spain by authorities after they were stolen from Ukraine.
The ancient artifacts are part of Ukraine’s cultural heritage and are thought to be worth around €60 million, or $64 million.
According to a statement from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, the eleven pieces, including elaborate necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, date back to the Greco-Scythian period between the eighth and fourth centuries B.C.
The Scythians were a group of ancient nomadic people who inhabited regions across eastern Europe and Asia.
They were skilled in mounted warfare and metalwork, the latter of which allowed them to create intricate jewelry pieces.
A total of five people were arrested for the theft. The Spanish police were able to catch the thieves after a Ukrainian citizen attempted to sell the gold jewelry in Madrid.
Alongside the jewelry were forged documents in Ukrainian, Spanish, and English stating that the treasure belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
juanjo – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Police found that the jewelry items were briefly displayed in a Kyiv museum between 2009 and 2013.
Afterward, they ended up in the possession of an Orthodox priest, who was one of the five culprits of the crime.
Three of them were Spanish, and the other was Ukrainian as well. In 2016, the jewelry was smuggled out of Ukraine.
Before this most recent bust, investigators managed to successfully obtain one of the stolen artifacts in 2021, when the investigation was first started. They confiscated an ornate gold belt with ram heads during a private sale in Madrid.
The complexity of the heist required more than just the efforts of Spain and Ukraine. Interior ministry attachés from several countries also had a hand in helping to restore the treasure to its rightful owner and preserve a historical legacy. These countries include Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and North Macedonia.
The jewelry is now being examined at the National Archaeological Museum and the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute.
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