Fokida: They had dug a 12-meter tunnel near an archaeological site – Two arrests – See video/photos

On the day of past Friday, successful the Phocis region, two Greek nationals were arrested by officers of the Efpalio Police Department for violations of authorities regarding the extortion of antiquities and taste practice successful general.

Specifically, pursuing cautious investigation of quality and extended investigations successful the wider area, the suspects were recovered connected a crippled of onshore not belonging to them, conducting excavation enactment and creating a vertical passageway adjacent an archaeological site.

It was determined that a vertical passageway successful the signifier of a cave, astir 12 meters deep, had been dug, with horizontal levels formed and supported by metal pillars.

Additionally, investigators recovered a ventilation system, a water drainage system for rainfall and underground h2o to forestall ungraded erosion, an electric lift for removing excavated materials, afloat electrical wiring with lights passim the tunnel, and assorted excavation tools (mechanical, electric, and manual).

In a car recovered astatine the site, belonging to 1 of the suspects, arsenic good arsenic astatine the excavation site, authorities seized:

• 4 metallic enactment pillars and electrical drills (compressors)
• Various cultivation tools (shovel, hoe, pickaxe, etc.)
• Part of the ventilation strategy and the electrical lift
• 9 drill bits and a transport cart
• Part of a integrative tube from the h2o drainage system
• Metal cutters, hold cords and powerfulness strips, a brace of gloves, a headlamp, and a handheld flashlight

The aforementioned car was besides confiscated arsenic a means of transporting tools and excavated material.

Furthermore, during lawful searches of the suspects’ homes, authorities seized:

• A portable physics device
• Cash amounts of €18,380, $5,774 (USD), and 6,500 LEU (Romanian currency)
• A metallic detector and a metallic rod–detector

The Phocis Antiquities Office was informed of the case, arsenic the excavation tract is located adjacent a section archaeological site.

The preliminary probe was conducted by the Efpalio Police Department, and the suspects were brought earlier the Amfissa Prosecutor’s Office and referred to the Investigative Authorities to supply testimony.