BLOOD ANTIQUES



INTRO
SOMOP
- Start digging here,
this is the right spot.

If God wills it, we'll soon be living
in Paris.
BELGIUM 1

ROYAL MUSEUM

VOICE-OVER
The Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels. Two years ago some crates arrived here filled with antique artefacts from Afghanistan. They had been impounded by customs.

QUOTE
These are antiquities, authentic
antiquities,

from various looted sites in Pakistan,
Afghanistan...

This is a fine example of Nal ceramic
art. Lovely decorative work.

There's also a lot of Buddhist art
from the Indus plain.

I feel like a mala fide shopkeeper
who's got a bit of everything:

Third millennium, Islamite period and
Buddhist period.

With the right merchandising,
we're not talking in hundreds,

or thousands, but in hundreds of
thousand euros.

These pieces were all earmarked
for the antiques market,

more specifically the Belgian one.

ARTHUR BRAND

VOICE-OVER
The Zavel in Brussels, the beating heart of the Belgian antique world. It’s very probable that the pieces from the museum would have ended up here... We arrange to meet Arthur Brand, Dutch art connoisseur and author of a book on antique artefacts’ smuggling.

QUOTE
For the man in the street, the art trade
is something very chic,

something for the aristocracy,

a world of beautiful works of art
and expensive receptions.

However, it's only about two things:
Money and money. Nothing else.

The official art world and the illegal
art world

appear to be separate entities, but
they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

VOICE-OVER
A major part of the illegal art trade is made up of the sales of stolen and smuggled pieces. And, according to Brand, it is no coincidence that the pieces happen to end up at the Zavel.

QUOTE
This is one of the hotspots
in the world.

Brussels has its benefits:
It is strategically located in Europe.

You've got the EU, diplomats and
a lot of rich people.

Collecting art gives you added status,

which is why diplomats are often
collectors.


VOICE-OVER
There’s another thing that makes Belgium so attractive to smugglers: pieces can be sold here without documents to prove their legal origin. Since an antique dealer is not obliged to prove that he has come by the piece through legal channels, pieces that have only recently been dug up can be sold without any problem at all.


QUOTE
This piece still has remnants of sand
in it.

If this had come from a collection,
the sand would have disappeared.

They must have dug this up some
time ago..

VOICE-OVER
Brand takes us to a business where, according to him, looted Afghanistan antiques are simply being exhibited in the shop’s window.

QUOTE
The smuggled goods are staring you
in the face.

VOICE-OVER
According to the antique dealer, everything here is perfectly above board.

SOMOP
- You have pieces here that in my opinion could have been digged up a few months ago in Afghanistan or other places.
- No, I don’t think so. And I would personally never take anything out of a country, where it is forbidden. I have been travelling for many many years, never, never, never I would have taken out an object.

FIRST UNDERCOVER

VOICE-OVER
We decide to return to the same shop, but with a hidden camera. This time we get to hear a completely different story:

VERBORGEN CAMERA
I was the first to have pieces like
these years ago in Belgium.

Where did you buy them?

It's obvious that if a piece comes from
Afghanistan, it has been stolen.

Every piece?
-Yes, of course.

VOICE-OVER
With a bit of pressing, the dealer agrees to show us how you can tell that a piece has been dug up illegally...



VERBORGEN CAMERA
You can see evidence of the tools they
used in the excavation, like an axe.

It's not from an archaeological dig?
- I don't think so.


AFGHANISTAN 1

BESENVAL & C°

VOICE-OVER
The archaeological site of Sheshm-e-Shafa in the north of Afghanistan. French archaeologists are digging for the remains of an era that dates back 4,000 years. The leader of the expedition is Roland Besenval.

QUOTE
Cheshm-e-Shafa,
northern Afghanistan.

We discovered this Cheshm-e-Shafa
site which controlled the main route,

the old road that linked the north
of Afghanistan, Bactria,

to India.

Alexander the Great took this route
after his conquests in Central Asia.

SOMOP
Hello Zia. I'm fine, how are you?

QUOTE
You find a lot of unusual influences
here.

It was also a crossroads of cultures.

You have influences from everywhere,

which is what enriches
the archaeology in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is more than
drugs and the Taliban.

There is so much wealth in the
country and we have to safeguard it.
VOICE-OVER
Because of Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage, it is covered with sites like these. Many art treasures still lie here buried under the ground. A few weeks ago, the archaeologists discovered this Zoroastrian fire altar.

QUOTE
This stone could be pre-Islamic.

The time of the Achaemenids or
Sassanids in the 5th century BC.

To my mind, this is the only one of
its kind in Afghanistan, and even Iran.

An extremely important discovery.

People have dug all around it,
even as far as underneath it.

Probably looters, not knowing what it
was,

who were looking for an easy find.

VOICE-OVER
When archaeologists start to dig, far too often they have to conclude that looters have been there before them. And so valuable information is irrevocably lost forever.

QUOTE
Anything you find in the soil,
be it a pot or the remains of a wall,

supplies information that helps you
to date what you've found,

and other objects lying around.

Looters dig holes without any thought
to what they're doing.

They're not interested in history,
only in what they can sell.


BELGIUM 2

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!

VOICE-OVER
Once it comes onto the antiques’ market, an object takes on a commercial value. Snatched, literally, from their context, archaeological pieces simply change into merchandise.

QUOTE
Treasure diggers take away the best
pieces,

which might end up in Peru, New York
or Tokyo.

No one knows their origin,
their location or if they're complete.

As regards history, it's the same as
tearing pages out of a history book.

VOICE-OVER
Even when the dealer knows perfectly well where a smuggled piece has come from, they’ll keep that information to themselves. Usually a dealer will claim that the piece is legal and comes from an old collection.

SOMOP
- This is Afghanistan?
- Yeah?
- This is an old piece? An old collection?
- Old piece… Collection, yes… Private collection from Belgium.
- Private collection of Belgium?
- Yes.
- So you are sure that it was not unearthed a few years ago in Afghanistan?During the war…
- It’s impossible to be sure, exactly.
- You’re not sure?
- No, I’m sure for this piece. But it’s impossible to know exactly if this piece was not taken before in Afghanistan…
- So but how are you sure about this piece?
- Because…
- Because the desert sand is still on it.
- Because…It is not… I can not…
- Why is there desert sand here?
- Okay, maybe if you want this piece I take in Afghanistan. But…
- So you are not sure?
- Yeah, yeah, I’m not sure exactly.
- You are not sure?
- Yes.
- Okay, that’s fine. Thank’s to tell the truth.
- Okay.
- Thank you.

UNDERCOVER HASSELT

VOICE-OVER
The annual Art and Antique Fair in the Grenslandhallen in Hasselt. Here we meet another antique dealer who has his pieces delivered here directly from Afghanistan. Neither is the place where they were found important to him.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
I've written North Pakistan, although
it's on the border with Pakistan.

Whether it's on this side or the other
side of the border, it doesn't matter .

I don't know the exact location.
- It's not important.

I'll ask my friend when he's back
from Afghanistan.

You have someone there who...
- I trained him. He's an Afghan.

He's from an important family.
He can do what he wants.

And customs?
- That head fits in your suitcase.

No one will stop you when you bring it
in,

and over there you just bribe
the customs.

Whether it's permitted or not,
you'll always have to pay anyway.

If you don't pay, you've had it.

UNDERCOVER KNOKKE

VOICE-OVER
The Zeedijk in Knokke. Here too we’re going to visit an antique dealer specialised in Afghan objects. The dealer has been in the business for many years and once used to buy his stock himself on the black market in Afghanistan…

VERBORGEN CAMERA
In the old days I'd spend the first night
in town,

then I'd head northwards. Everyone
seemed to know I was coming.

Maybe they had their sources at
customs or perhaps I was on a list.

They'd try to get to me first,
so I wouldn't buy from someone else.

Nowadays, my contacts come to my
shop which makes life easier.

Delivery to my doorstep.

Would you like to go back?
- Not for the moment, no.

It's dangerous where the pieces
originate.

They kidnap you because they know
you've got cash on you.

AFGHANISTAN 2

BUMPER ARCHIEF OORLOG

VOICE-OVER
In fact, for decades buying antique artefacts in Afghanistan has never been without its dangers. The country has been ravaged by war for the last thirty years. In 1979 the war against the Soviet occupation began... Once the Russian troops had withdrawn in 1988, civil war broke out… and this lasted until 1996 when the fundamentalist Taliban took over power... At the end of 2001 the US toppled them from power, yet still today they continue the fight to regain power in Afghanistan... This doesn’t make the job of the French archaeologists any easier. Roland Besenval is never without a pistol on his belt.

PISTOLS AND LAND MINES

QUOTE
It could help in a minor incident,
but I hope I never have to use it.

The only problem was at Wardak.
An attack on the base.

They'd laid mines on the road,
but they never went off.



ROLAND TAKES US ALONG WITH HIM…

VOICE-OVER
Besenval takes us along to a site a hundred kilometres further away. Two thousand years ago this was a bustling town. However, there is little left here for archaeologists.

QUOTE
This is typical of the sites
in Afghanistan.

Completely looted.

Looting has been going on here
for years.

It looks more like somewhere
that has been heavily shelled.

They dug these holes to go
underground.

Once there, they dug galleries in a star
shape.

The idea was to create a larger area
for their looting.

QUOTE
I don't know how deep this one is.
In Tepe Zargaran,

we found underground galleries
six metres under the ground.

How do you feel, seeing all this?

The sites are protected now,
but the first years were pretty hard.

QUOTE
The looters were local villagers. It's
simply a source of income for them.

It's an economy of despair.

If you ask a looter why they're
at a site,

they'll say it's better than doing
nothing at home. So, they loot.


VILLAGERS SHOW US THEIR FINDS

VOICE-OVER
A few of the villagers come and join us. They show us figures that they’ve found.

SOMOP
Buddha.

They're both very old.
- More than three thousand years old.

VOICE-OVER
The village is home to a few hundred people. For the villagers, the excavations are an important source of income.

QUOTE
Ten years ago, before the Taliban,
people searched for antique art.

They tried to earn as much money
as possible with their finds,

to put food on the table
for their children.

You don't do this for fun.

There's no one who does this just for
something to do.

If you're not desperate, you never do
this.

It takes a lot of effort and time.

But if you've no other choice,
then you even jump into the water.

VOICE-OVER
A family from the village shows us what they have been able to dig up. A collection that wouldn’t look out of place in a museum. The real find is a large stone.

QUOTE
It rained very hard one day.

It made dents in the soil and we saw
bits of objects sticking out.

The force of the rain exposed parts of
them.


We simply lifted them out of
the soil.

And the stone?
- Same thing.

Part of it was exposed and we were
able to dig it out.

But we had had very heavy rainfall

.BELGIUM 3

TOP PRICES AT THE ZAVEL

VOICE-OVER
At the Zavel in Brussels however, trade is not dependent on how poor you might be. Anything but… We meet a collector who is poised to buy this four thousand year-old Afghan “cult object”. Price tag: €20,000...

VERBORGEN CAMERA
Wonderful.
- Magnificent.

You take a very close look at it,

and then you forget everything else
and follow your heart.

If you really like a piece,
you have to go for it,

even if you don't make a profit on it
and it has no added value.

You can lose your money on the stock
market.

In property too. At least this gives you
pleasure.

VOICE-OVER
A few doors down we come across a similar fine investment: the head of a Afghan Buddha, two thousand years old...

VERBORGEN CAMERA
Forty.
- Forty thousand?

The face was gold-plated.
- Where did you buy it?

Sir, surely you don't expect...
You should be in this profession.

I'm just interested.
- I won't tell you.

A dealer who gives away
his sources... I'd like to see that.

VOICE-OVER
And ethical scruples are obviously not something that bothers this buyer.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
Not wanting stolen goods isn't
necessarily a matter of conscience.

It's the in thing at the moment.

It's only now that people do certain
things to be 'politically correct'.

But as long as you're not buying
the Venus de Milo or the Mona Lisa,

you have to take things
in their context.

There'll be a time when Afghanistan
will once again be rich and powerful,

and it will buy back its heritage.

VOICE-OVER
However, if ever the Afghans want to buy back their looted heritage, they’ll need to do more than just go to the bank, because top antique artefacts sell for hundreds of thousands of euros…

VERBORGEN CAMERA
- This one... how much?
- I'm asking 25, which is not very expensive. But it's a fragment. If you had the head... Maybe a complete head would be 100 or 200 or even 300.000. (opgelet: vertalen als honderdduizenden!!!)
- And they steal it or they loot it from the ground?
- Eeuh... I don't know. If the piece is genuine, is that good enough for you? Do you love the art? I mean: do you have a problem if it's not legal?
- Me? No...
- And I don't think anybody can come to you. In Belgium they have no laws that say: “You have to give it back.” So I think you'll have no problem. As far as I know there's absolutely no law. Belgium is maybe the most free in the world.

POLICE: “BELGIUM IS LINCHPIN”

VOICE-OVER
The Federal Police’s art fraud squad is well aware of the problem. For inspector Axel Poels it’s more a case of beating your head against a brick wall.

QUOTE
In general, Belgium is known as
the linchpin for stolen art.

It's logical, because we are so
centrally located in western Europe.

And in both Belgium and Holland,

whether it be legislation, the legal
system or the police,

stolen art is not on the top of anyone's
list.

BRAND: “PREFERABLY NO INVESTIGATION”

QUOTE
This is a world of it own, one that
doesn't take to being investigated.

It's a high society world.

If you'd really start digging in the art
world,

heads of people in high places would
roll.

There's also the aristocracy, some of
whom also have collections,

of so-called 'blood antiquities'.

BLOOD ANTIQUES, 9/11

VOICE-OVER
‘Blood antiquities’… according to Interpol and FBI reports there is a strong link between the trade in antiquities and the financing of war and terrorism. The profits are enormous. Each year some 5 billion euros worth of stolen antiquities are traded. A large part of this sum comes into the hands of terror organizations.

QUOTE
A lot of the pieces come from pretty
unstable countries,

where terrorist organisations
run the show, like Afghanistan,

or Lebanon with the Hezbollah.

Recently, these organisations
discovered that the trade in looted art

is very lucrative.

Indirectly, this trade finances terrorist
attacks.

QUOTE
Take Mohammed Atta, who flew his
plane into the Twin Towers in 2001.

It was known that he had financed
or intended to finance his operations,

by trading in stolen Afghan art
in Germany.

QUOTE, BRAND
It was in 2005 that the alarm bells
started to ring,

when Der Spiegel, a German
magazine, revealed that Atta,

at the beginning of 2001, just before
the attacks,

had visited an art professor
in Göttingen in Germany.

He had a lot of stolen Afghan art and
wanted to know where he could sell it.

The reason he gave was
that he wanted to buy a plane.

VOICE-OVER
Besides Al Qaeda, other organisations, such as the Taliban, also appear to be interested in antiquities.

QUOTE POELS
It's obvious that in areas under
Taliban control,

where pieces are dug up
and smuggled out of the country,

that the profits finance
the Taliban war machine.

It's the same as the heroin that is
grown in Taliban controlled areas.

All the profits from it also go towards
their war machine.

I think it's simply yet another way of
financing their war,

to be able to continue their war.

SALES IN SWAT

VOICE-OVER
The Swat valley in the north of Pakistan… There was a time when this was the centre of the Buddhist Gandhara civilization and the area is littered with archaeological sites. However, in April this year, heavy fighting broke out in Swat between Taliban militias and the Pakistan government troops. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee the violence. Hundreds of people died. And yet, for some antique lovers, the ensuing chaos was a stroke of luck, at least that’s what they hope. In the antique shop in Knokke we are witness to a conversation between the owner and a customer.

HIDDEN CAMERA
There must be Gandhara in Swat.
- Certainly.

Will anything be coming out?
- I don't know.

Not long ago we saw a film in Bonn
that an Italian made in Swat.

He filmed the destruction of
a Buddha statue.

You see a young guy, 14 years old,
blowing the Buddha to pieces.

If they were clever, they'd have hewn
it out.

Maybe, who knows.
As I said, they're fanatics.

It was an idol, it had to be destroyed.

Why didn't they sell it?
They're practical people.

You'll never guess what they're
selling.

I have received a fax concerning
that huge Bamiyan Buddha.

We've been asked if we're interested
in a delivery of rubble.

AFGHANISTAN 3

THE BUDDHAS OF BAMIYAN

VOICE-OVER
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were a part of our world heritage. The images were demolished using anti-tank mines, five months before 11 September. Because the Buddhas dated from pre-Islamic times, they had to be destroyed. Many other Buddha statutes were also destroyed mercilessly...

However, the Taliban didn’t only destroy age-old artefacts. Often it was decided to loot artefacts and to sell them. We joined a few experienced treasure diggers. They are always searching for sites and know where best to go. Our destination lies somewhere in the steppes on the border with Turkmenistan. Although we pass a few Buddhist shrines on the way, Jamil and his men are heading for a old tomb under which they believe treasure to be buried.

QUOTE
Listen, listen.

According to what people say,

this was a Buddhist shrine, dating
2,800 to 3,600 years ago.

The unbelievers placed objects
in their graves for the angels of death.

SOMOP
Start digging here,
this is the right spot.

If God wills it, we'll soon be living
in Paris.

VOICE-OVER
Jamil and his men look for the entrance to a complex of tunnels under the tomb. This tunnel was dug by the Taliban. Now and again the men find a few small objects, but the most valuable pieces have already been looted by the Taliban….

QUOTES
We used to graze our cattle here
until the Taliban came.

The Taliban started to dig here.

They worked for forty days and nights.

They dug a tunnel, but we don't know
what they found.

Everyone said something different.
Some said they'd found a mummy.

There were lots of rumours,
but the Taliban never let anyone near.

VOICE-OVER
The men dig a deep shaft and reach the entrance of the tunnel under the shrine. Now they can start looking under the tomb.

QUOTE
We're now exactly in the centre
of the tomb.

The Taliban started to dig a four
metre-long tunnel from that side.

It was very hard work digging,

but finally they came out exactly
under the tomb.

VOICE-OVER
However, today the men leave empty-handed. The best pieces are most likely somewhere abroad.

QUOTE
It's all gone, it's left the country.
In Paris, in Germany,

in America, in Canada,
there are even pieces in Moscow.

QUOTE
We didn't find anything today.

People have dug here four or five
times.

It all began with the Taliban.


BAGORAK, KOPEN VD STEEN

VOICE-OVER
The Taliban have also been digging furiously in Tepe Zargaran. Taliban fighters also went from house to house confiscating the finds of the local people. This stone had lain hidden for years. It’s only now that the owner dares to bring it out.

QUOTE
It's a very old piece. We have never
shown it to anyone before.

VOICE-OVER
After negotiating for a while, we finally buy the stone for 300 dollars. A real bargain for a two thousand year-old Greek stone. In Belgium, a piece like this would fetch tens of thousands of euros...

SOMOP
Are you happy?

VOICE-OVER
When it’s time to leave the village, all at once we find ourselves surrounded by a dozen other villagers who have more pieces to sell.

SOMOP SFEER, NIET VERTALEN

THE TRADERS FROM MAZAR

VOICE-OVER
We continue our journey to Màzar-i-Sharif, the largest town in the north of Afghanistan... Villagers come here to sell their artefact treasures around the shrine of Imam Ali... You won’t find extremely valuable pieces here. This man earns a few dollars every day selling old potsherds and odd bits of ceramic.

SOMOP
How old is that piece?

This must be two thousand years old.

How much did you pay for it?
- I bought it for 200 afghani.(3€)

And how much are you asking?

What do you want for it?
- I want 300 afghani for it.(4.5€)

THE SMUGGLERS

VOICE-OVER
To meet the major league smugglers we have to head for Peshàwar in Pakistan. Peshawar is the centre from where the finds leave for Western Europe. However, before we get there, we stop in Jalalabad, just before the Pakistan border. We’ve arranged to meet a few major dealers... they’re willing to tell us about their business…

QUOTES
I have people digging for me.

We buy what interests us
from the diggers and sell them on.

We bring them onto the market.

VOICE-OVER
Before the pieces are sent to the market they are first photographed. The photos are then sent off to clients to ascertain whether they are interested.

QUOTE
This is a very old piece of earthenware
with ornamentation on it.

In Pashtu we call that kaudare.

It's difficult to see the beauty
of the ornamentation.

When we contact interested parties,
we first show them the photo.

VOICE-OVER
If there is interest, the piece is taken to Peshawar by specialised smugglers.

QUOTE
We look for an agent in Pakistan.

Once we've found one, he will propose
a percentage. We take our own.

We never have any contact with
foreigners, that's the agent's job.

QUOTE
We pass on the pieces to our friends
in Pakistan,

who have good contacts with
the Pakistan secret service, the ISI.

In their turn, they have contacts with
pilots who also receive their cut.

After that, it's easy to get the pieces
out of the country.


QUOTE
Business was easy under the Taliban.
Now there are more restrictions.

In those days, people came from
countries like Pakistan and China.

VOICE-OVER
However, they claim that the Taliban are still active in the antique business.

QUOTE
The Taliban are also in this business
in the areas under their control.

They send pieces abroad. We've heard
they've found something in Nimruz.

VOICE-OVER
We show our stone to one of the traders and ask if they can smuggle it to Belgium for us.

QUOTE
The relief is very clear. These sort of
stones usually come from Herat.

They want to get it to Belgium.

There is a possibility via the airport
at Kandahar.

We don't have any contacts any more
at the airport at Kabul.

We got into trouble trying to smuggle
heroine through the airport.

That's why we're now using
Kandahar.

BELGIUM 4

ZAVENTEM CUSTOMS

VOICE-OVER
Brussels International airport. An average of 50,000 passengers and 2,000 tons of freight pass through here every day. Customs do their best to control whether illegally smuggled goods, such as blood antiquities from Afghanistan, are entering the country. However, according to customs officer Pol Meuleneire, it’s basically an impossible task.


QUOTE
In my mind we are basically
powerless to do anything.

It's also something completely new
and very hazy.

We're faced with a shortage of
personnel for the job.

We have to control the cargo,
and notify the addressees

that an investigation is underway.
We simply don't have the manpower.

VOICE-OVER
Now and again they manage to intercept suspicious shipments. The problem is, the customs officers don’t really know that much about antiquities.

QUOTE
We will always have to call in experts.

They have to contact the embassies
and countries of origin.

And all that takes a lot of time.

VOICE-OVER
When a shipment is held back for release, the police have to be called in. However, for them it’s just as difficult to know whether the antiquities have been looted or not.

QUOTE
It's true that our department's
speciality is art fraud,

but it's obvious that I can hardly
be expected

to know all about the art history
of the world.

We also have to call in experts in
the majority of cases we handle.

SOMOP
It's been well made, it has a patina
inside.

QUOTE
We do have our successes, but they're
few and far between.

Sometimes we wish we'd never
started.

UNDERCOVER VAN ROY II

VOICE-OVER
With the limited controls it wouldn’t appear that difficult to smuggle antiquities through customs. We receive an e-mail from an antique dealer who has just received a fresh consignment of Afghan Buddhas into the country. We arrange to meet him at his warehouse just a five-minute walk from the Zavel.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
Did I send a photo of everything?
- There was a Buddha head.

It's very rare.
- What's it worth?

Well, somewhere around 9,500 euros.

For you it's a different matter.
However, going under 8,000 euros

is not going to be possible.

VOICE-OVER
All these pieces have been bought on the black market in Afghanistan. They were then smuggled through customs in Kabul with the help of corrupt customs officers. The dealer uses an Afghan middle-man to arrange the deal…

VERBORGEN CAMERA
My friend has collected quite a lot
over the last couple of months.

To ship them, he will have to pay
between 500 and 800 euros in bribes.

To customs?
- Yes.

Is it just a matter of payment?
- No, you have to know someone.

If you happen to meet an honest
official, someone who can't be bribed,

you'll pay much more to get out of
prison.

So, it's all in the price?
- Yes.

It's shipped either via Bangkok,
Singapore or Dubai.

And it ends up here.

VOICE-OVER
Once the pieces have passed through Belgian customs they’re transported to this warehouse. From here they’ll find their way to some of the antique shops at the Zavel...

VERBORGEN CAMERA
We're five minutes from the Zavel,
which is great.

The dealers will be here on Saturday.

I don't want to push you, but
doubtless some pieces will get sold.

You also sell to dealers?
- They'll come for a drink on Saturday.

Hopefully they'll be in a buying mood.

We'll make sure they have enough
wine to drink that evening.

OUT AND ABOUT WITH JAVID

VOICE-OVER
We want to find out just how easily Brussels’ antique dealers buy smuggled antiques. To do this, we call in the help of Javid, a young actor from Iran. We give him a few small pieces and some photos of bigger finds from Afghanistan. We also give him a photo of the stone that we bought while we were over there. Armed with a hidden camera, he sets out to try to sell his treasures.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
- Good morning Sir, I have some pieces from Afghanistan and I don’t know if you’re interested.
- Afghanistan? It’s touchy. Yes, it’s very touchy… Most of the pieces are forbidden for sale.
- Oh forbidden for sale.
- Yes… Because there has been too much smuggling. And it’s very dangerous. I like it but I can not take the chance.
- Allright…

VOICE-OVER
However, it’s not long before the fish takes the bait.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
- I have some ancient pieces from Afghanistan and I want to know if you’re interested.
- I’m always interested….
- I can show you the picture because some of the stuffs are too big that I cannot carry. This one… That is a big piece… It’s from Afghanistan.
- How much is this?
- This is about 800.
- It’s nice...
- My cousin does this. He brings it, sells it. He lives in Hamburg and he asked me to find some customers in Belgium.
- Oh, I know your family! You have a granddad in Los Angeles, no?
- Granddad?No.
- Uncle or in LA, America… No? No? I don’t know...
- This is another stone. It’s Greek. Ant this is also in Hamburg.
- You could maybe give me the address in Hamburg. I’m in September in Hamburg. Then I will have a look. Yeah?

VOICE-OVER
The owner at the next shop would also appear to have bought merchandise from smugglers before.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
- I can tell you honestly and discreetly: I’m very used to buying direct, but nobody knows.
- It’s okay.
- Because I don’t want them to know, it’s none of their fucking business.

VOICE-OVER
The dealer tells Javid that in the future he should always bring his smuggled goods to him first.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
- Anything that I will find, I will bring it here.
- You can always call me and send emails too. You have my address, no?
- (1 zinnetje nog nt vertaald)
- Please don’t show it to anybody! Because… The more people have seen it… It’s not good.
- Yeah, it’s not so good.
- Because I have to tell a story when I sell this. I cannot say it comes directly from Afganistan. Or Pakistan. People will say: ‘ah illegal’. If they tell the police I buy directly, I’m in trouble.

UNESCO

VOICE-OVER
To help the police, our country recently ratified a UNESCO convention from 1970. Its purpose is to make it more difficult to trade in stolen antiques. From now onwards, an antique dealer has to keep a register for each piece, in which is stated from where the piece originates.

QUOTE
An antique dealer can no longer say
he bought this from Mr so-and-so.

Now, the dealer has to supply a proof
of purchase, an invoice,

a proof of the seller's existence,
and so on.

This will make it a lot more difficult

to sell smuggled goods over
the counter in an antique shop.

VOICE-OVER
However, according to Arthur Brand, little will change in practice.

QUOTE
The UNESCO convention is
a cumbersome, bureaucratic organ.

Pages and pages have been written
on art fraud.

It can be useful in the event of a case
coming to court.

But that's rare, since it's difficult
to prove anything.

Try and prove that Mr Smith, who died
30 years ago, didn't own the piece.

The convention has come too late
in the day.

It's only useful if you have additional
proof, otherwise it's not much use.

It's still business as usual in countries
that ratified the convention long ago.

It's just for show.

THE COLLECTOR
VOICE-OVER
Neither do the antique dealers’ clients appear to be losing any sleep over the UNESCO convention. We visit someone who’s been collecting antiques for years. His house resembles a museum, crammed full with an incredible collection of antiques…

QUOTE
I've bought steadily all my life.

If I like something, I buy it.

If you're talking about Afghan art,
that pot is apparently very old.

It's a beautiful pot.


VOICE-OVER
Besides this pot that dates from the Bronze Age, there are some showpieces that originate from Afghanistan. This statue was dug up in the border region with Pakistan…

QUOTE
I bought this piece in Brussels.

Do you know what they ask for
a small seated Buddha, this big?

65,000 euros, and certainly no better
than this one.

VOICE-OVER
The fact that the statue might have been dug up illegally does not present a problem to the owner.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
I think it's nice, but I don't know its
origins.

The excavations are all clandestine
operations.

No feelings of guilt?
-It's not worth it.

VOICE-OVER
And also the fact that his money might have ended up in the Taliban’s pockets is of minor importance.

VERBORGEN CAMERA
Of course it goes to the Taliban,
as does everything that's sold.

They're looting and selling over there.

But some of your money ends up with
the Taliban.

What I paid for that pot could well
have gone to the Taliban.

Don't you ever think about it?

Yes, I do. But what do they do with it
over in Afghanistan?

Nothing. Until there's peace once
again in Afghanistan.

It isn't appreciated, anyway.
QUOTE
If ever the president of Afghanistan
comes here,

and says he has a lovely piece that
would fit in very well,

I would be interested.

But he'd have to prove it was his and
that he wouldn't sell it just to anyone.

AFGHANISTAN EPILOGUE

VOICE-OVER
And yet there are people in Afghanistan who really value their cultural heritage. Instead of smuggling the large stone to Belgium, together we bring it to the National Museum of Kabul where it will certainly arouse a lot of interest.

SOMOP
- It is a very nice piece indeed.
- It could be the part of a drainage system from a yard, or something. Because you see the holes go down.
- I would say it’s the bottom of a basin to wash your hands in.

SOMOP
The design could represent the sun.

VOICE-OVER
Since the museum suffered terribly in recent decades from looting, there is more than enough space for the new acquisition.

QUOTE MASSOUDI
This is a unique and old piece. Maybe it belongs to Graeco-Bactrian or Kushan period. At least it has more than 1500 years back. My message for the belgian collectors: please don’t purchase, don’t sell these artefacts. This is the property of Aghanistan. When they stop their purchasing, I believe that these dealers that are looting will stop their activities again. This is important for us.