On 24 August, regional police officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra arrested two men, aged 48 and 44, in a cove along the Tarragona coastline. They were detained in flagrante while conducting illegal underwater surveys using metal detectors and suction equipment, according to the Mossos.
The suspects, who had travelled from the Castellón area, were intercepted by officers from the Maritime Police, Citizen Security and the Historical Heritage unit of the Criminal Investigation Division. One was found in the water wearing a neoprene suit, the other near their vehicle. Authorities recovered 58 coins and several pieces of jewellery believed to have come from the seabed.
The site is classified as being of high archaeological interest. A previous incident on 28 October the prior year saw one of the same suspects arrested in the same location, when he and another individual retrieved rings, 46 coins, a copper shield and other metal objects from the sea floor.
Judge issues rare exclusion order
Following the August arrest, the court in El Vendrell issued a judicial order prohibiting both men from returning to the cove. This is the first time such a measure has been imposed in a Mossos investigation into archaeological theft, according to police sources. Should either return, they would commit a new criminal offence of breaching a court order.
There is growing public awareness about this type of theft, and more people are reporting suspicious activity.
Specialists from the Criminal Investigation Division told El Periódico that public awareness is increasing, with more citizens reporting the use of metal detectors in natural areas, especially since such use is banned in protected zones.
Legal and preservation measures
Unauthorized removal of objects from archaeological sites is a criminal offence under aggravated theft laws. Only licensed archaeologists with official permits may legally recover items. Offenders face both criminal prosecution and administrative fines, which range from €6,000 for minor infractions to €900,000 for systematic looting, deliberate destruction, or illegal international trafficking, as determined by the Department of Culture under current heritage legislation.
The Mossos’ Historical Heritage unit collaborates closely with the Centre d'Arqueologia Subaquàtica de Catalunya (CASC), which began a scientific study of the Tarragona site in October of the previous year after the Mossos flagged the possible presence of an undocumented shipwreck.
Investigators also monitor online marketplaces, auction houses and antiquities fairs for illegally obtained artefacts. Some sellers openly advertise items 'extracted from the subsoil' to increase value, providing clues to authorities. The Mossos have identified three types of sellers: casual individuals unaware of the law, professional traffickers exploiting international markets, and clandestine networks dealing in high-value items requiring complex, cross-border investigations.
Police estimate that in 80% of cases, individuals are unaware that removing artefacts from protected sites, even those inherited from ancestors, is illegal. Scientific analysis, including sand and corrosion testing, helps determine how recently objects were extracted. This is particularly effective in underwater cases, where oxidation levels indicate recent disturbance.
Primary sources: dsp.interior.gencat.cat, interior.gencat.cat. Reported by regio7.cat, elpuntavui.cat, europapress.es, elperiodico.com, hechoencalifornia1010.com, cronicaglobal.elespanol.com, diaridetarragona.com, ACN, Regió7.
