[MSN] "They're a hot commodity ... so demand is high"

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"They're a hot commodity ... so demand is high"
George Gligoris, head of the Greek police unit that investigates antiquities smuggling, talks to Anthee Carassava

One of the most sacred symbols of Greece, a 700-year-old icon of the Virgin Mary, was stolen on Aug. 18 from a remote monastery 300 km southeast of Athens. Despite an international manhunt, the thieves are still at large. George Gligoris, head of the national police unit that investigates antiquities smuggling, profiles the thieves and explains how he recovers stolen treasures.

Why Byzantine icons?
They're a hot commodity. Only a few are left, so demand is high.

What's the profile of an antiquities thief?
There are three types. The first is basically anyone — from a herdsman to a fisherman — who stumbles on something ancient and refuses to hand it over to the state. The second is more refined. He acts as a go-between, buying the looted items and marketing them to the third type, namely big-time collectors, antiquities dealers, auction houses — even museums — that know the true provenance of the items.

How do you solve these cases in a country like Greece, where almost every household holds some ancient relic or icon?
It's impossible to monitor every inch of the country. But we have a good network of informants. We're busting cases daily.

Your investigations forced the J. Paul Getty Museum to relinquish a number of looted Greek works. Who's next?
I've collected enormous amounts of information in the five years I've headed this operation. You can bet we'll be seeing more repatriations in the near future.

http://www.time.com/