An antiques dealer illegally sold a looted ancient Egyptian sculpture worth €190,000 ($202,000) using fake documents, police said.
The Spanish gallery owner is alleged to have bought the artefact, which dates from 1450BC, from a company in Thailand, knowing it had been stolen.
Spanish National Police said a Swiss gallery offering the sculpture for sale at an art fair in the Netherlands was tipped off that it had originally been bought from the Barcelona-based dealer.
The unnamed suspect had links to the antiques trade in conflict zones in the Middle East and North Africa, the police said. The Swiss gallery bought the sculpture from a gallery in Germany, they added.
The Swiss gallery, which was selling the item at The European Fine Art Fair (Tefaf) in Maastricht, told Dutch police of their concerns and they, in turn, alerted Spanish authorities, who arrested the antiques dealer.
The dealer showed paperwork that claimed the sculpture was acquired legitimately, but the National Police said “investigators, after the checks carried out, were able to prove that it was a false document”.
Art crime expert Christopher Marinello told The National he was “surprised” the antiques dealer was arrested over false documentation.
“There has been a lot of publicity about US antiquities dealers being arrested for falsifying provenance but this Spanish dealer apparently didn't get the memo that you can’t get away with this,” said Mr Marinello, founder of Art Recovery International.
When it came to the police action, he said it was a “really encouraging development that law enforcement was working so well” in this case.
“What stands out is that the police in the Netherlands worked really well with the Spanish police, so it was good to see international co-operation, which happens very rarely,” he said.
Mr Marinello said the item had been able to make it to the floor at the fair due to the fake documents.
“They have one of the strictest vetting committees, which goes through every object and reviews the complete provenance. But you have to give Tefaf a little bit of a break because they’re not really equipped to review false documentation.”
Spanish investigators were able to establish the Egyptian sculpture was bought in July 2015 from an “international company based in Bangkok”.
The Barcelona gallery owner provided documentation that claimed the sculpture belonged to a Spanish collection from the 1970s. But they had merely used the details of a similar piece to “falsify the origin of the sculpture”, police said.
“The arrested person was perfectly aware of the illicit origin of the Egyptian bust seized in the Netherlands,” said the Spanish National Police.
The dealer then acted to “create a past that would hide the piece's true origin in order to introduce it into the legal market”.
The suspect was arrested in connection with money laundering, smuggling and document falsification offences.
This illicit theft and sale of Middle East antiquities has been fuelled by war, colonialism and civil unrest. Egypt's uprising in 2011 led to a surge in looting that persists to this day.
By some estimates, in 2020 global sales of art and antiquities reached more than $50 billion and experts estimate illegal trafficking of cultural property may separately total up to $10 billion every year – a figure Interpol says has risen over the past decade.
Egyptologist Monica Hanna, who campaigns for the return of ancient artefacts in her native Egypt, said she was “looking forward to knowing if this came out of illicit digging or theft from a museum”.
“It’s important because we are losing heritage all the time and we need to understand how these items are leaving Egypt,” said Dr Hanna, associate professor and dean of the College of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport.
She welcomed the seizure of the sculpture. “Who is involved and what is happening is something we need to understand,” she added.
The arrest in Spain comes as a collector in Germany is being investigated after he was found with an artefact dating from 2350BC that had been stolen from a museum in Syria during the civil war.
The tablet, inscribed with cuneiform, a system of writing used in the ancient Middle East, was taken from a museum in Idlib and is believed to have been illegally imported into Germany.
Tefaf has been approached for comment.
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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RESULTS
5pm: Watha Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Dalil De Carrere, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Pharitz Al Denari, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mahmood Hussain
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Oss, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Almajhaz, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Lewaa, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
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Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
CREW
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
