--- description: Europol announced Monday that a joint task force, also known as Operation Pandora, recovered thousands of cultural artifacts last year. title: Europe's Operation Pandora Seizes 3,561 Cultural Artifacts image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta92ea2c7e2a6cf6d/6988b6c9e20a872be2a93daf/operation-pandora.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Art](/tag/art/) ## Art Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Europe's Operation Pandora Seizes 3,561 Cultural Artifacts  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 23, 2017 6:43 PM CUT  Guardia Civil  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 23, 2017 6:43 PM CUT Operation Pandora has been a success, Europol [announced today](https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/3561-artefacts-seized-in-operation-pandora "undefined"). The European Union’s law enforcement group worked with police in 18 countries, including Bosnia and Switzerland, as well as Interpol, UNESCO and the World Customs Organization to find and seize cultural objects last October and November. Authorities searched almost 50,000 people for a variety of items, including over 400 coins, a marble Ottoman tombstone and a Byzantine depiction of St. George, [according to BBC](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38723099 "undefined"). And during those two months, authorities were able to recover 3,561 stolen or trafficked artifacts and pieces of art — 19 of which were stolen from an archaeological museum in Spain, BBC reports.  Europol The operation culminated in a “joint action week” from Nov. 17 to 23 of last year, Europol said. Overall, the authorities arrested 75 people and opened 92 new investigations as part of the operation’s coordinated effort take out the criminal networks that sustain the black market for cultural objects.  Europol The efforts also focused on relevant spoliation — obtaining cultural spoils by force — especially in countries in conflict or war. [**_Read More:_** **Six Other Stolen Works of Art That Made a Comeback**](http://time.com/4514386/van-gogh-stolen-recovered-artworks-paintings/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4643559/europol-operation-pandora-artifacts/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4643559/europol-operation-pandora-artifacts/"},"headline":"Europe's Operation Pandora Seizes 3,561 Cultural Artifacts","datePublished":"2017-01-23T18:43:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:59:09.381Z","description":"Artifacts include both stolen art and archeological objects","url":"https://time.com/4643559/europol-operation-pandora-artifacts/","keywords":["Art","Culture","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta92ea2c7e2a6cf6d/6988b6c9e20a872be2a93daf/operation-pandora.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta92ea2c7e2a6cf6d/6988b6c9e20a872be2a93daf/operation-pandora.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"operation-pandora","caption":"","creditText":"Guardia Civil","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/art/","name":"Art"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4643559/europol-operation-pandora-artifacts/","name":"Europe's Operation Pandora Seizes 3,561 Cultural Artifacts"}}]}] ```