A treasure hunter, trying to sell a medieval spearhead and 17 century coins recovered from illegal digs has been detained by police in Skierniewice, central Poland.
He was spotted by members of s special police unit, which monitors auction portals with an eye to illegal sales of historical objects and collectibles.
The man wanted to auction the spearhead for an asking price of 500 zlotys, a spokesperson for the Lodz province police Magdalena Zielinska said. Officers observed the auction until they discovered the identity of the 52-year old man. A search of his house yielded 17th century coins and other objects from illegal excavations.
The man denied he was an illegal digger and claimed the coins and the spearhead were found by his late father. But he may still hear charges of appropriation of historical objects since possession of objects obtained from illegal excavations is a crime, which carries a penalty of up to two years behind bars.
Amateur archeologists in Poland need a special permission to conduct digs but many decide to break the law, inspecting promising sites with metal detectors and often ruining valuable finds, experts say. (kk)