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| Works of art sequestred by the Albanian police, source: Fier police |
Fier Police stated on Tuesday that they intercepted 107 artworks valued at over $1.5 million, according to Albanian police reports, although there are no documents or preliminary auctions to determine the value of these works of art. These artworks are suspected to be trafficked from Greece to be sold in Albania, Police say.
The Director of Fier Police, Lorenc Panganika, told reporters that after a four-month investigation, Shpëtim Kalemi, 51, and Pandeli Petani, 57, were arrested. They are accused of trafficking artworks from Greece to Albania, including paintings, religious icons, and archaeological objects believed to belong to the antiquity period.
The police reported seizing a vehicle used by the suspects to transport the artworks from Greece to Albania, military ammunition, a quantity of cannabis narcotics, and a weighing scale.
Experts in cultural heritage are expected to assess the significance of these artworks and historical periods to which they belong. A few days ago, Albania returned 20 icons to North Macedonia that belonged to churches and monasteries, seized several years ago.
The icons were confiscated during a police operation in Albania in 2013 and were identified as the neighboring state's property.