Suspected Traders of Ancient Art Linked to Islamic State Are Detained

Objects were said to be stolen from archaeological sites in Libya

Deborah Lehr as featured on The Wall Street Journal

Spanish police are holding two men suspected of trading in antiquities looted by groups linked to Islamic State, the first publicly announced detentions by Western authorities working to dismantle the terrorist group’s trade in plundered art.

The objects, which included ancient mosaics and sarcophagi, were stolen from archaeological sites in Libya by groups linked to Islamic State, Spanish police said in a statement late on Wednesday. The two suspects, who weren’t identified by name, were being held while a judge decides whether to try them on charges of terrorism financing and other crimes.