hub for our trafficking. me aided in part by legal standards that are less stringent than in france. so we're going to the main antique shops to see what they are selling. and if we can find anything that looks interesting, some of this shock draws his attention. there is a bust with a red stain on the marble in the window. we begin to film using a hidden camera to avoid drawing the dealer's attention. the. we're posing as potential buyers. well hello. hello. how are you? on was we're looking for a gift or our grandfather who is a collector. and if you do that, we're not exactly experts on the book on. look how subtle i

was. yes, it's incredible. the this is the botched ma gone busy exported. it's listed at $9500.00 euro's mexican. so where did the red marks come from from be due to the cloud to soil. therein the stone, i won't go away to the seller doesn't mention the bust is from libya. he points to another bust which has the same characteristic red stain. so this one comes from egypt, right? what about that one? it must be from the middle east that all right. from the middle east, as a vast region to vast by law, the dealer should know the precise origin of the antiquity selling me suddenly the dealer offers to cut the price by a 1000 euros. my concern is that 1500

a. renew ok. instead of 9005, a message thank you. will be in is the dealer telling the truth? put the bus had come from egypt or the middle east as he claims that have children. they are not addiction or from the middle east. there sir, and i can so again, they're definitely libyan sculpture for they both come from easter and libya. so how were these antiquities removed from libya? the we come to the in gardening, in eastern libya, the city was devastated by civil war. the

as we travel up the coast, we encounter ruins from a far more distant era. getting back to ancient greek and roman times. the ruins are accessible. a kind of open air museum for local visitors to the some sites are under guard. others aren't ah you know where to look. priceless antiquities are practically free for the taking the we meet another student if archaeology, deep sea diving asides favorite pastime. he's also determined to stop the looting of antiquities. many can be found here in this 2000 and year old harbor that's now

under water or marble busts like this one can weigh over a 100 kilos and can't be moved easily. me there are also dozens of answer a frankness, the patience and look a diver might find something like this, the head of a statue. it's been lying on the bottom of the sea for 2000 years. i don't want us to be seen on the low. we've been lucky today thought worried that if you've seen with a bust the area might attract looters, we need to be very careful or goss, i'm hiding it, so no one sees it. otherwise, people will come looking for more objects. so worth a fortune in libya,

a looter might receive $500.00 euros for the bus. but on the other side of the mediterranean, in europe, a bust like this might such 10000 euros, 20 times the original price. everything sa fines. he turns over to the head of the local museum for safe keeping up with the antiquity. he is rescued over the past. years are kept in this safe worried about burglary. burtless ones came in through the window. i tried to open the safe but couldn't. so they forced the door open. still for centipedes is from the museum. will remember the ceramics, we don't know where they ended up so. so ah,

one city in the east of libya is particularly appealing to looters. irene, sometimes referred to as the athens of africa. i, the most prized statues come from the ruins of his ancient city, which extends over an area covering many square kilometers. ah, there are temples and amphitheaters ah, in the cemetery 10 square kilometers inside locals sometimes build their houses on top of ancient ruins. the most valuable antiquities are usually found in tunes local authorities tried to prevent looting,

but often with little success. the major shahan sends out daily patrols. his police unit is in charge of preserving cultural heritage. his unit has just 30 officers. they're committed to their work, but they're vastly outnumbered. the, i think the whole class look, someone dug here class, the tooth was clearly looted and not all that long ago. nothing. now, you know, there are at least 3 grades inside and shuffled the loo to remove the soil through this hole. and might even have worked in broad daylight. yeah. let me kind of high . you can see what's happening on the outside. how much of washington he probably had an accomplice that kept watch in case the police came. it's not hard to escape

if you know the area we atlanta 3. yeah. yeah. you're welcome to get me. the police are virtually powerless and find looted, tombs almost daily. the area here is far too vast to catch looters in the act. but i want to be getting in 2013 the let me state and other groups divide for control over the region who they became a weapon of war for years, eastern libya remained in the grip of fierce fighting between islamic militia and military forces. in their propaganda videos, the ins glorify their fighters heading out on suicide mission and they also boast of their destruction of archaeological sites. what they fail to mention is how much

profit they reap from large scale trafficking and antiquities ah, unique museum in a city that was under the control of rob, malicious until summer 2018 i. li, risk his life to hide the most precious antiquities, which would have sold for tens of thousands of years on the black market. i the, he's objects i managed to remove from the museum. they did break the base of the statue, but i know they were planning to sell it. i think they tried to steal so many artifacts in the bottom. he was able to rescue 85 objects including many but since statues this morning, he's meeting with his colleagues from serena, their 1st meeting in

a while and that has happened, as they said, they would try me for these thefts. and if i were found guilty, they would enforce theory a lot more the punishment for attempt just to cut off your hand or with you in public. and some people die. study eunice aaliyah was interrogated several times, but refused to reveal the location of the artifacts. for a full year, he lived in constant fear. the libyan authorities say that terrorist groups, including ones affiliated with the islamic state, are funded by the sale of thousands of antiquities. but whom are they sold to a team of spanish police officers think there's a link between terrorist groups and to cut a lot or dealer fernando poor. so

as head of the spanish police is historical heritage unit. he's come all the way to tripoli to interview key witnesses. be that all the items were investigated? come from a specific region and libya for you and ica. here's one of the items we see in this head was wrapped in a blanket. me a few months earlier or so let us search at this barcelona art gallery. dozens of valuable antiquities were seized. these statues are valued between 50100000 euros. ah, the spanish dealer was arrested and charged with helping to finance terrorism. it's the 1st case of its kind in europe. in the spring, if our investigation was triggered by several export licenses requested by this famous barcelona antiquities de la, i had many objects from livia on exhibits for roused our suspicions. saki, right?

you know me. so who is the barcelona antiquities dealer charged with trafficking and antiquities received through a terrorist organization. though still in his thirty's sharma by god, is a respected dealer known for trading and rare objects. the during the investigation spanish police intercepted more than $30000.00 emails. somewhere between all my god and his middle man in antiquities dealer in libya, they date from 2015 a time when the law state health sway over the region. after reading these emails, fernando port sales team discovered how the contra line dealer and middleman

laundered looted antiquities regarding a bike that sold for 30000 euros. i got wrote put a low value on the invoice. ready marble head over 100 years old. 500 years. i lived in accomplish, complied, and rewrote the providence looted last i need you to write on the invoice origin, private collection predating 1970. that will help get it through customs. thank you . the maybe they can come in that policy on, on he asked him to write that. it comes from a collection that they took the full $971.00. he actually boston 2015. not here. you can see the head, the middleman bolt in the united arab emirates, and hear the same piece a few months later. we'll restore you in the capital of antiquity. go millennia

ah. when i'm on the dealer was released pending trial. he denies the charges against him. that i mean, i know who the trial will be decisive when we will know whether we succeeded or not . but in any case, this is a big step. since it's the 1st time in the world that someone is going to be tried for trafficking in antiquities and finance and terrorism, as well as if you know me, the trial is scheduled to take place within a few months. for now, the cut on intake, what is dealer is back in business? we decided to pay him a visit at the opening of the fatty yard thing, madrid's art and antiques, fer where he has a large stand. though it's still morning visitors are already here and rose.

ah, but god has yet to grant a television interview on the case. we tell them we're doing a report on the ard market to get him on camera. and he agrees to be filmed. you know, i started collecting roman coins when i was 10. i've devoted my life 20 equities, but i mean, i feel that i went and asked me what i was facing serious accusation there without marriage either some, some of them and i study, they say you find a terrorism. that's absurd. you know, it'll, you don't get will not, but you sold items from libya, a country of war by that is not true. it's not. you know, what experts confirmed the object came from libya, not to test it. and how do you explain that april? second was my document at the origin, and i'm convinced my trial will prove my innocence. that's the only possible

outcome we can keep talking. but stop filming now, because you know, most of them she's been on it or instant. please turn off the camera and turn off the camera and then you know what the gentleman by god is not the only dealer in europe, suspected of laundering artifacts looted in libya and then selling them. but how are these antiquities brought into europe without attracting attention? what routes to the traffickers use to libby and police officers tell us what they know. they explained that most of the antiquities are transported illegally across the desert. the meter ok for you to go, but it is a use, a tries, but a specialist in smuggling. but i'm going to do, i'm that's how the object passed through the border puzzles me. in english,

we retraced the journey of these antiquities from their departure in, so i really libya, egypt and most of the ancient works of art are sold in an area located in the desert. near the laces will be sent to the sinai. i'm an answer, israel now, almost every day, from israel, their ships to the united arab emirates, or to jordan. after that, the 2 police officers lose track of the path taken by diluted antiquities. all they know is that many traffickers and buyers establish contact on social media motorcycles. you can look at i'm, i'm really not going to need to pay for transport and make more money orders and local traffickers. and now start to look for foreign clients directly on website. i mean social media wymond, facebook, the you see what the, what the problem. that's how they get better offers. being shown

me, we create a fake collectors profile on facebook, calling him only we infiltrate private groups, made up of looters and dealers within a short amount of time. all he has acquired a lot of friends. the dealers are based in libya, syria and iraq, and they share videos of their treasure, hunts, and tips for acquiring the most valuable object. with the the, with the share drawings to explain how to spot terms give advice on the best tools to use. like stay the metal detectors we get in touch

with several of them. they all speak arabic, but we managed to communicate using online translation tools. with this rocky introduces himself as a broker who sells antiquities from the middle east, such as the small statue from syria. it's an exceptional find the archaeologists we contact estimate. it's about 4000 years old. the broker asked for $10000.00 for it. i the the,

we don't pursue the contact. this kind of small statue could be smuggled in a suitcase traveling from turkey to paris without raising any suspicions at all. the cases like these that have also attracted the attention of more gone busy. the researcher also assists the o. c, b, c. the french central police unit, the combat trafficking of cultural property. his boss at the o. c. b, c, colonel de belgy is allowing a camera in the unit a rare exception. this is who said this sculpture from the iranian acropolis, and egypt still has fresh earth that sticks to your fingers is now in

a container on its way to asia. as in the spanish case, the french investigators look for the provinces and false owners to cover their tracks, traffickers, inventor past weather antiquities, including fix sales, gone busy. it has developed a computer program to help the software aims to record all sales of antiquities from libya over the past 150 years. so it's a kind of cartography take this object as you can see where it was made antagonistic, and where it was sold, the lot number, the sale price and the buyer song of things. and if a seller says it comes from a collection, we can check cancer, even though when integrity arrives in europe, the documentation helps set the laundering process in motion and then the object

circulates from buyer to buyer professional to professional very quickly. the goal is to auction it at a top price, who claims to the financing some developed with lots of us ever re max, you know, the mean belgy has a team of $26.00. not a lot given the scale of the problem. they're dealing with them or more. it's not often you get to work on pieces of such aesthetic beauty. in the da, she and his team are also on the trail of a new type of trafficking. small dealers who work exclusively online because of his art mand is rising, such as the classics. the internet has made it easier to traffic items of relatively low value. we've observed that most of the objects for sale tend to go for no more than 4000 or 5000 euro from, you know, it's

a clever and silent form of crime. digital e commerce platforms are a popular place to look for small artifacts that are easy to transport and hide. there's something for every budget. this little cherry from syria, for instance, is listed at 1200 euros. the seller offers many other objects all from the middle east. the me, we've located his address. he lives in the north of france and owns a concierge company. we make an appointment with him, claiming to be prospective buyers, the mortality. hello. did you find your way easily?

yes, and the issue, are you interested in anything in particular? we saw some sculpture that looked like chariots show you how we oh yes, i just pulled that one out earlier. how many items do you have? i'm not sure. between $1.20 every month. this man sells dozens of antiquities online. busy some are stolen even though france band, the import of antiquities, from places under terrorist control in 2016 the, in your, where does this come from syria, iraq or it was above the barrier at the time. every video acquire them long ago.

you know, 6 months ago i just was oh, quite recently. and how did you find them? i do a lot of searching for me. the contact community. many of the time i felt a network of contacts in connection work with you. i don't have the entire history of who owned it before the bus is getting me. the information is vague, but it's clear the seller hopes to reassure us. even if the origin is dubious, an invoice would prove that we purchased it in good faith. if the police knocked on our door, we wouldn't be prosecuted me. so i can send you an invoice with a certificate of authenticity that go with an invoice. we won't have any problems or of course not the case, john. so no one will ask when the object looked at country of origin. and then you

know, you can even leave france with it. thank you. a lovely collection of good exhort. thank you to buy over. ah, we weren't the only ones interested in this dealer. he'd been under police observation for several months shortly after our visit, the police searched his home the investigation was launched to determine whether he sold antiquities from iraq and syria, and provided indirect financing to terrorist groups. ah, but what happens to these blood antiquities once they've been seized? they can't be sent back to their countries of origin. as long as these remain conflict zones. the most valuable objects are kept in a secret place in the heart of paris. especially not very many journalists have

filled tear archeologist i saw michelle is one of the few people allowed in the libyan statues are still sealed. their investigation is still in progress. but they're scheduled to go on display in the loop or museum within the year. expose the just goods can be exhibited while a searches conducted for their rightful owner for maybe not all 4 of them, but at least the 2 small statues whose heads are still intact in it. that's the archaeologist hopes to raise awareness of the problem. the blood antiquities and spur the authorities into action. ah, 2nd, even if we're just our lovers or amateurs, were all effected, terrorists could be involved. when it comes to blood antiquities, we don't want to overreact. we want to remain vigilant forgiveness.

ah, how long will it take before blood antiquities are banned from exhibitions and auction houses? frances special unit is investigating several cases. unfortunately, there are outcomes still won't be known for quite some time. ah, me ego india. the noise lead to humans and animals alike. polluted a big problem in india, especially in metropolitan city, widely underestimated the enforcement action on those pollution is very limited to 30 minutes on d, w. a little guy that is the 77 percent. the

platform issues and share ideas. you know, on this channel we are not afraid to talk to young people clearly have the solution, the future, the 77 percent. now, every weekend on b, w in december, 2019 and the european council president show me show, embarked on a ground breaking mission. i had a clear job to make sure of the 1st time a gentleman on the planet by 25th not all member states supported and some persuasion. this requires a

surprising glance into the very heart of power to win the game of diplomatic poker, the intrigue power, please, and alliances behind the scenes. the summit starts august 5th on dw, the ah, this is dw news, and these are the top stories. the u. s. is denying claims by cuba communist regime that is to blame for a wave of anti government protests. cubans took to the streets in their thousands on sunday, protesting against food shortages, rising prices and record over 19 infection. he was president joe biden hail for demonstration saying the cuban people demanding freedom from an authoritarian regime.