Italy: Men busted in illegal artefact-sale sting

Catania 3 Aug. (AKI) - Two men were arrested on Friday by police for allegedly selling artefacts and cultural goods online.

Two citizens of Randazzo, near Catania in northeast Sicily, were arrested and charged with illicit possession of state-owned cultural goods, forgery of archeological objects and fraud.

The suspects used a social network to sell numerous antique objects, but their scheme failed when they were busted by police posing as buyers.

One of the vendors was found in possession of goods during a liaison with undercover police. The rest of the stock, including hundreds of coins, terracotta masks, candelabras, plates, statuettes and vases, was found in the suspect's homes.