On 24 April 2026, French Customs published a news release concerning the increase in seizures of cultural property throughout France in 2025. In recent months, several operations have been carried out in Bayonne, Lille-Lesquin, Saint-Quentin, Béziers and Sète, involving archaeological objects, fossils, ancient coins, fragments of monuments and cultural property from third countries. The locations and types of cultural property vary, but the underlying infringement is the same: the absence of proper supporting documentation relating to possession.
Read More