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A French treasure hunter identified only as “Patrice T” is accused of being among the greatest archaeological criminals in European history after being arrested with over 27,000 ancient illegal artifacts. When he was arrested this week, he told Belgian officials that he dug up 14,154 Roman coins “by chance.” He said they were “all” recovered from two fields near Gingelom, a Flemish town about 40 miles (64 km) east of Brussels. The coins were legally declared as the finder’s property, however, archaeologists working for the Belgian Agency for Immovable Heritage reported the unusual size of the discovery to French customs who seized the suspected huge number of apparently illegal artifacts. Trading In Illegal Artifacts And “Bending” EU Country Laws Late