Last year, 37,000 stolen cultural objects – including artifacts, artworks, coins, and instruments – were seized by international police agency, Interpol, and law enforcement.

The illicit trade in cultural property is one of the world’s oldest and most profitable forms of criminal activity – and it is increasingly being facilitated online. 

UN News’s Cristina Silveiro has been speaking to Krista Pikkat, Director for Culture and emergencies for UN agency UNESCO, about the fight against illicit trafficking in stolen heritage worldwide.