ORLANDO, Fla. — United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents say a ring of thieves used the Orlando International Airport to smuggle ancient artifacts. Some of the stolen pieces of history belonged to the Dominican Republic and were thousands of years old, agents said.
The ancient artifacts look like something out of an Indiana Jones movie, and they are all part of a Hollywood-style archeological drama that played out right in Central Florida.
Agents said a still unknown number of people were smuggling dozens of ancient statues and ancient tools out of the Dominican Republic through OIA.
"Based on our investigative efforts, we identified some individuals. One of those individuals was ultimately stopped and detained at the airport in Puerto Rico. In his possession, he had seven additional figurines," said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge with homeland security.
On Thursday, the U.S. government is returning the artifacts to Dominican officials. Some of the artifacts date back as far as 2000 BC, agents said.
"These particular individuals that we came across had other records for dealing in stolen antiquities," said McCormick.
The investigation began when agents searched an Orlando warehouse three years ago and found suspicious import packages that were marked "stone figurines," said agents. The items were confiscated, but then more similar packages began to arrive throughout the state.
A University of Florida curator helped identify the statues and other artifacts that are very valuable on the black market, agents said.
"Everybody is out to make a buck and these people intended to sell these and get the highest price for the antiquities," said McCormick.
Now a piece of the Dominican Republic's history is back on the island, and the first suspect is behind bars.
Agents said they know who most of their suspects are but they are in other countries and that makes it more difficult to apprehend them.
WFTV
