Hellenistic-era statue found in bag next to a garbage bin

An ancient Hellenistic-era statue was found in a black bag next to a garbage bin, the police announced on Wednesday.Authorities have launched an investigation to determine how the ancient statue came to be found on the street.

The statue was found by a man in Thessaloniki on Saturday night who handed it over to police.

An archaeologist was called in to examine the statue and determined that it falls under the relevant legislation on protecting antiquities. Consequently, the statue was confiscated by police officers of the Office for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, who are investigating the case.

At the same time, the Northern Greece Sub-Directorate for Tackling Organized Crime is conducting an inquiry, while the ancient statue will be sent to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations of Northern Greece for a forensic examination and then forwarded to the competent Ephorate of Antiquities for storage and evaluation.