Executive Summary 

The illicit trade in antiquities is a critical global challenge, deeply intertwined with organised crime and the financing of terrorism. In recent years, terrorist and insurgent groups have actively exploited these lucrative black markets. This is being done in order to fund their operations and advance criminal agendas. Primarily sourced from conflict zones like Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen, the increased supply of these pillaged artefacts, particularly since the mass looting in Iraq from 2003 onwards, highlights the transnational nature of this threat. Antiquities theft is, however, no recent phenomenon. Historically, the recovery of cultural heritage, such as art stolen by the Nazis after World War II, through entities like the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU), the Monuments Men Foundation, the Art Loss Register in the UK, and broader restitution efforts, have established a precedent for dedicated efforts to combat antiquities theft and smuggling.