Ancient artifacts stolen from Olympics birthplace
Source: Agencies |
February 18, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TWO masked armed robbers tied up a museum guard at the birthplace of the ancient Olympics in southern Greece and made off with dozens of artifacts, authorities said yesterday.
Greece's Culture Minister Pavlos Geroulanos submitted his resignation after the robbery at the antiquities museum in Ancient Olympia, but it was unclear whether it had been accepted by Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. Geroulanos was due to travel to Olympia yesterday.
Police set up roadblocks in the area as part of a broad search to try to locate the robbers, who were wearing ski masks.
Museum authorities and police did not have an immediate account of the items taken from smashed display cases, but local authorities and police said about 60 artifacts are estimated to have been snatched.
"According to the results of the investigation so far, unknown persons, this morning, at about 7:34am, immobilized the guard of the museum and removed bronze and clay objects from the displays, as well as a gold ring," a police statement said.
Sporting authorities are to hold a ceremony at the museum on May 10 to light the Olympic flame for the London Games.
Olympia Mayor Efthimios Kotzas urged authorities to improve security at the site.
"The level of security is indeed lacking," Kotzas told state-run NET television. "These are treasures.
"A piece of world heritage has been lost thanks to these thieves ... I think the (authorities) should have been more mindful and the security should have been more serious."
Greece's Culture Minister Pavlos Geroulanos submitted his resignation after the robbery at the antiquities museum in Ancient Olympia, but it was unclear whether it had been accepted by Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. Geroulanos was due to travel to Olympia yesterday.
Police set up roadblocks in the area as part of a broad search to try to locate the robbers, who were wearing ski masks.
Museum authorities and police did not have an immediate account of the items taken from smashed display cases, but local authorities and police said about 60 artifacts are estimated to have been snatched.
"According to the results of the investigation so far, unknown persons, this morning, at about 7:34am, immobilized the guard of the museum and removed bronze and clay objects from the displays, as well as a gold ring," a police statement said.
Sporting authorities are to hold a ceremony at the museum on May 10 to light the Olympic flame for the London Games.
Olympia Mayor Efthimios Kotzas urged authorities to improve security at the site.
"The level of security is indeed lacking," Kotzas told state-run NET television. "These are treasures.
"A piece of world heritage has been lost thanks to these thieves ... I think the (authorities) should have been more mindful and the security should have been more serious."
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