Wild diggers were digging and selling cultural heritage, an indictment was filed

Public Prosecutor's Office / Photo: MIA

The Prosecutor General from the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office for Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption filed an Indictment against 11 wild diggers of cultural heritage.

- The group became a functional entity and its members, in the period from December 1, 2021 to December 12, 2022, took actions of unauthorized research of archaeological sites as real estate under temporary protection, using transmitted knowledge, maps and handwritten texts and traditions for orientation and finding the archaeological sites. After finding the sites, using metal detectors, the defendants carried out illegal research and excavation of movable property under temporary protection, i.e. cultural heritage. Although they knew that they came from a committed crime, they appropriated and hid the archaeological goods and historical objects in their homes or in unknown locations and offered and sold them to interested buyers from the country and abroad without authorization from the competent authority, the Prosecutor's Office states.

The first accused S.J. (47) has also committed criminal acts Concealment, Damage or destruction of goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage or cultural rarities, Exporting abroad of goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage or natural rarities and Unauthorized manufacture, possession, brokering and trading of weapons or explosives substances.

As announced by the State Public Prosecutor's Office, five defendants Z.A. (39), M.S. (42), G.K. (45), I.S. (48), and M.J. (37), except for the crime of criminal association, they are also charged with the crime of damaging or destroying goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage or cultural rarities.

M.A. (32) and D.R. (36) are also accused of the crime of Exporting goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage or natural rarities abroad. In addition to the crimes of criminal association and cover-up, the accused T.A. (58) is also charged with the crime of damage or destruction of goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage or cultural rarities, while N.M. (48) – the criminal offense Exporting goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage or natural rarities abroad.

The youngest R.Z. (28,) according to the Indictment, in addition to the crime of criminal association, he is also a perpetrator of the crimes Damage or destruction of goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage or cultural rarities and Exporting goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage abroad or natural rarities.

JORSM informs that during the second half of 2021 on the territory of the country, in order to commit the mentioned crimes and acquire illegal property benefits, the accused S.J., Z.A. and T.A. created a group in which the rest of the accused and D.P, who is on the run, became members.

Alienated goods are objects with archaeological, ethnological, artistic and historical values ​​of inestimable value, i.e. significant good and good of particular importance owned by the Republic of North Macedonia, of exceptional value.

- By their permanent alienation, the defendants caused permanent damage to the archeological, historical, museum and artistic research of the competent state and scientific institutions and damage to the state, JORSM said.

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