Coast guard arrests two for antiquities theft off Crete

Two foreign nationals were arrested on Wednesday on board a German-flagged sailboat by coast guard officers off Crete on charges they were illegally searching for antiquities.

Working on a tip-off, coast guard officers boarded the sailboat in the sea area known as Hironisi, off the coast of Hania, and while conducting a search of the vessel found antiquities believed to date to the Roman and Byzantine eras.

In another search after the boat docked at Hania port, authorities also found 16 fragments of ancient objects. 

All the antiquities found were confiscated, as was the sailing boat, diving equipment and electronic devices.