The Libyan Attorney’s General Office stated that 300 artefacts dating back to the Greek period were found in the possession of a person in Al-Bayda city, in eastern Libya.
The Attorney General ordered the seizure of the artefacts while continuing to collect information on the case. The statement added that the Public Prosecutor within the jurisdiction of the Al-Bayda Court of Appeal assumed the responsibility of supervising the work to verify the legality of possession of the artefacts.
This came two days after the Libyan Stability Support Apparatus announced that it had managed to recover the “Capitoline Wolf” artefact, which has been stolen from the Saraya Al-Hamra Museum.
In a statement, the Stability Support Apparatus confirmed that this came in a security operation in the Al-Asabaa area, under the supervision of the Attorney General’s Office.
It added that the Western Bureau of Investigation, alongside the Apparatus’s office in Nesma and Gharyan cities, ambushed and raided a location in the Al-Asabaa area. They found the artefact, and noted that the suspect managed to escape, due to the harsh geographical nature of the region.
The Apparatus noted that the operation took place under the supervision of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Director of the North Tripoli Prosecution Office, and the Director of the Gharyan, Al-Asabaa District Public Prosecution Office, and with direct follow-up from the Agency’s Affairs Office.
It stressed that all legal measures were taken regarding the incident, adding that the seized artefact was delivered to the Public Prosecution.
The statue of the “Capitoline Wolf” represents the emblem of Rome. According to Roman legend, the “Lupa” breastfed the twins Romulus and Remus, who founded Rome in 753 BC.
The Apparatus said the artefact was located on one of the two obelisks in front of the Saraya Al-Hamra Museum in Tripoli. It was removed from the obelisk in 1963, and placed in the museum before it was stolen.