Italy’s Carabinieri Corps seized 79 archaeological goods in the Mediterranean region.
As part of the operation 52 arrests were made and 170 investigations are still ongoing.
Interpol said there had been a specific focus on online markets including a ‘cyber patrol week’ organised by the National Police Force of the Netherlands to identify suspicious sales online.
Operation Pandora VI, which was active between June 1-September 30 2021, included authorities in 28 countries carrying out checks and controls in airports and at border crossing points, as well as in auction houses, museums and private homes.
Among the seizures were metal detectors.
Operation Pandora, which was first launched in 2016, is an annual law enforcement operation and in total has produced 407 arrests and resulted in the recovery of 147,050 cultural goods.
The locations of police operations and seizures last year included Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands, Greece, Romania and the US.
Interpol said as part of the operation 90 metal detectors were also seized that had been “destined for illicit use at archaeological sites”.
