The Valais cantonal police announced on Wednesday that they had carried out an “exceptional seizure of archaeological artefacts”. A 51-year-old man was arrested. Last May, he was caught in the act of illegally searching for archaeological objects using a metal detector, even though he had no authorization.
The investigation allowed the police to get their hands on decorative objects and various tools, the oldest of which date back to the Bronze Age, around 2000 BCE. Celtic, Roman, medieval, modern and contemporary coins have also been discovered, as well as other items of historical value.
These objects belong to the common heritage and not to private interests, notes the Valais cantonal police in a press release. The illegal search for archaeological artifacts using a metal detector constitutes “a serious violation of the federal law on the transfer of cultural property,” she emphasizes.
Second arrest
The cantonal police investigation also led to the arrest of a second man, aged 49, who was also engaged in these practices. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation.
The Valais police point out that the use of metal detectors for the purpose of searching for historical or archaeological objects, even from modern and contemporary periods, “is strictly prohibited without prior authorization from the Cantonal Archeology Office”.
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