In a coordinated operation on Monday, the Dimona Police and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) uncovered a significant cache of antiquities during a search of a private residence in the southern Israeli city of Dimona. Approximately 200 ancient items were seized, including coins, arrowheads, intact pottery vessels, oil lamps, glass beads, pendants, and other cultural artifacts.

Preliminary assessments by the IAA indicate that the recovered items span a broad historical range—from the Iron Age (9th century BCE) to the 7th century CE, the period marking the rise of Arab Muslim expansion across the region.  The 40-year-old resident of the home, located in Dimona, approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Beersheba and 35 kilometers west of the Dead Sea, was detained for overnight questioning and could face charges of illegal possession of antiquities. 

In addition to the artefacts, police also recovered two metal detectors, a large amount of ammunition, and various types of "airsoft" weapons.  Bear in mind that airsoft guns are replica firearms that use compressed air, at a low velocity, to propel small plastic pellets (typically 6mm BBs) originally designed for use in simulated combat games.  While not considered firearms in most jurisdictions, airsoft guns and similar items have been imported to Israel as toys, and later converted by changing the barrel and the internal mechanism to allow it to hold live rounds. These “converted weapons” are less powerful (and cheaper) than traditionally manufactured firearms, but they can easily still harm and even kill people,

By May 2022, Israel's "Airsoft" Law(Amendment No. 23), 2022, past its first reading in the Knesset, following the Ministry of Public Security's request to regulate the sphere of dangerous "toys", highlighting a recorded 195% increase since the beginning of 2018 in seizing of Airsoft guns that have been modified and converted into makeshift weapons which could make their way into the hands of terrorists and crime organisations.

The law proposed stipulated that any activity involving the manufacture, import, export, storage, transportation and trading in replica firearms will require a license, similar to a firearms license and the use, possession and carrying of these guns is to  occur in shooting clubs only, which will be issued a license by the Firearm Licensing Department.  That bill also included a penal clause of three to five years of imprisonment for execution of various types of modifications to replica firearms.  

Whether or not the airsoft weapons in this instance had been modified is not clear in the varying Israeli news reports. What is known is that in addition to the antiquities, cash in excess of NIS 150,000 (+/-€35,000) was also recovered. 

Image Credit - Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority

Three people, believed to be involved in an illegal antiquities trading network, have been taken into custody as the result of an extensive investigation in Israel.  All three individuals are said to be residents of Gush Dan, the densely populated region surrounding the city of Tel-Aviv and have been under surveillance for suspicion of trafficking, illegal possession of antiquities, as well as possible instances of fraud and money laundering.  Amir Ganor, the director of the Antiquities Authority's Robbery Prevention Unit told Israeli newspapers that this is one of the "most significant operations carried out in the country against illegal trade in antiquities" involving some €2.5 million worth of ancient art. 

During the past several months, the fraud unit in the Tel Aviv district has conducted a joint undercover investigation, in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority and the country's Tax Authority.  Yesterday, in the early morning, law enforcement announced that they had conducted search warrants on the apartments of the three unnamed suspects, in warehouses and at a gallery in Tel Aviv.

Law enforcement officers recovered ancient objects and coins most of which dates from the 3rd century BCE through the 11th century CE.  The objects are believed to have been removed from their context during clandestine excavations throughout the Mediterranean basin and North Africa and include Red-figure and Black-figure attic pottery from Ancient Greece and Italy, as well as jugs, vases, coins from the Seleucid Hellenistic period, jewellery, statues, and figurines.  Officers also recovered decorated sarcophagus lids, painted wooden boxes, and objects created with faience from Egypt. 

Despite their stunning recovery, the Israel Antiquities Authority has stated that their investigation is just now getting started.   The country will be reaching out to art and antiquities enforcement counterparts in other countries to discuss the origins and perhaps movements of the objects before their arrival to Israel. 

Two of the suspects have been listed in open source reports as a 70-year-old gallery owner and his 40-year-old son though other article sources indicate that none of the detainees were licensed traders in ancient art though some of the suspects were in contact with licensed dealers.  The third suspect has been described as being a 40-year-old resident of the city of Holon, located 10 km outside the Tel Aviv metropolis.   

All three men were brought in for questioning at the offices of the fraud unit in the Tel Aviv district.  Carrying out illegal excavations at antiquities sites in Israel without a license constitutes a severe violation of the country's patrimony law.  If convicted as such, culprits can be sentenced to up to five years in prison.