NCJ Number
186850
Date Published
2001
Length
19 pages
Annotation
For the criminologist, there is much the illicit trade in antiquities shares with other criminal markets, especially illegal drug trafficking.
Abstract
Like antiquities, the trade in drugs is fundamentally driven by economic demands in wealthy countries. Markets for both antiquities and drugs are international, and both markets require a number of different technical tasks. There is, however, one fundamental difference between the antiquities market and most other criminal markets. From beginning to end, the traffic in drugs is illegal which means the buyer and anyone else in the chain of market activity must conceal their activities. In sharp contrast, the buyer of plundered antiquities is able to purchase and display the goods openly and legally. Illicit aspects of antiquities training are addressed, efforts by governments to restrict the outward flow of their country's heritage are examined, and transit points in Asia for the handling of plundered antiquities are noted. Policy options to curtail the illegal antiquities market are reviewed, with particular attention paid to demand side strategies. 19 references