Two thieves donned diving gear to pilfer hundreds of ancient Greek and Roman artifacts from the bottom of the sea in Egypt, according to the country’s interior ministry.
Egyptian authorities say the men — one of whom has a criminal record — scoured the Abu Qir Bay seafloor not far from Alexandria on the shores of the Mediterranean.
The looters made off with 448 items: 305 coins, 53 statues, 41 axes, 20 bronze pieces, 14 bronze cups, 12 spears and three statue heads, the ministry said in a Facebook post which included pictures of the ancient lucre.
The men admitted they intended to traffic the items — which date back to Greek and Roman times between 2,500 and 1,600 years ago, authorities said.
The coins are intricately carved and depict images such as turtles, whales, elephants and what appears to be a crossbow.
Most of the plundered items have taken on a rich turquoise hue, which is caused by oxidation due to centuries of exposure to sea water.