Scuba Geek

First ever prosecution of alleged scuba diving thieves December 29, 2005

Posted by Andy Carroll in : News, WreckDiving , trackback

Malta Today report that police have filed charges against six ‘expert’ scuba divers accusing them of stealing and destroying priceless underwater heritage from Maltese territorial waters, in the first ever case of marine heritage pilfering to end up in a Maltese court. The accused scuba divers face a maximum six years imprisonment sentence and a fine of between Lm500 and Lm50,000.

The scuba divers are accused of stealing heritage items from the Malta seabed, some of the artefacts dating back to the Roman period.

The arrests have apparently sent shockwaves through the scuba diving community who are used to taking souvenirs from deep water wrecks, although the accused scuba divers are notorious for their unrestrained looting for business.

The items seized by investigators that will be presented as evidence in court include ancient amphoras, cannonballs from the period of the Knights of St John, and priceless artefacts pilfered from a World War I shipwreck off St Thomas Bay � the 153-metre ship SS Polyn�sien known as one of the greatest shipwrecks in the world.Among diving circles, it is also known as �the plate ship� because of the impressive number of fine porcelain plates, brass lanterns, period decorations and furnishings buried on the wreck, together with, it is believed, priceless sealed champagne bottles dating back to the WWI period.

Read the full story here