Stone and marble artefacts, presumably coming from historic buildings or ecclesiastical contexts, were recovered in recent days by the Carabinieri of the Scilla station during a check in the city cemetery. A man was reported to the Reggio Calabria Prosecutor’s Office for possession of the alleged stolen goods.
The soldiers, engaged in a patrol service, noticed a person wandering around in a suspicious manner within the cemetery area. Upon seeing the patrol, the man attempted to move away quickly, attracting the attention of the police who decided to carry out an inspection.
The objects found in the car
The man was carrying a bag containing several burglary tools, hidden under some artificial flowers. The subsequent inspection of the car led to the discovery, in the trunk and inside black bags, of various artefacts: a fountain in Lecce stone, an ancient vase of the same material, a frame inlaid in white marble and other architectural elements.
Not having provided documentation on the origin of the objects, the material was seized. The artefacts will now be examined by the Carabinieri unit for the protection of cultural heritage of Cosenza to verify their possible historical and artistic value and ascertain their provenance.
The proceeding is in the preliminary investigation phase and the principle of presumption of innocence applies to the suspect until a possible final conviction.