September 27, 2023.- In the framework of Operation “CEREALIA”, last Tuesday, September 26, 2023, the Nature Protection Team of the Soria Civil Guard Command (SEPRONA), detained one person and criminally investigated two others, as alleged perpetrators of a crime against the Historical Heritage and a crime of robbery with force in things.
The events occurred last July 28, when two people were seen in the vicinity of the archaeological site of the Roman villa of “Los Villares”, sitos in the town of Santervás del Burgo, when apparently they carried out surveys using metal detectors, immediately escaping after being surprised.
At the site they left a vehicle with which these people had moved to carry out the commission of the crime and which was later verified that it had been stolen a few months ago in the town of Madrid.
In the visual inspection carried out both of the recovered vehicle and in the immediate vicinity of the site, two metal detectors, hoes and a bag type petate were located, starting by the Seprona of the Civil Guard Command of Soria the operation “CEREALIA”, culminating in the total clarification of the facts.
The person arrested is a 48-year-old man, a resident of a town in the province of Soria and has a history of crimes related to the Historical Heritage. The persons investigated are two men aged 51 and 52 and domiciled in the provinces of Soria and Madrid respectively.
The proceedings conducted in conjunction with the detainee and the seized material were handed over to Examining Court No. 1 in El Burgo de Osma.
Likewise, the facts brought to the attention of the Territorial Service of Culture of the Junta de Castilla y León in Soria, for the commission of administrative infractions to the regulations on Cultural Heritage.
The Roman villa of the Villares is located south of the town of Santervás del Burgo, in the municipality of Fuentearmegil, very close to the area of influence of the cities of Clunia and Uxama. The complex is located on a former Celtiberian site, which was excavated in 1954 and declared a Site of Cultural Interest in February 2004. Above all, the mosaics with geometric, vegetable and mythological motifs stand out in it, as an emblem with the goddess Ceres.
Crimes against the Historical Heritage are punishable in our Penal Code with a prison sentence of six months to three years or a fine of twelve to twenty-four months and in terms of administrative infractions, they face very serious infringements of the Cultural Heritage Law of Castilla y León, with penalties of up to 600,000 euros.
The Civil Guard wants to highlight the importance of citizen collaboration that contributes greatly to the detection of all kinds of illegal activities and the identification of their perpetrators, contributing to the improvement of security in rural areas, remembering that the telephone 062 for permanent attention is available to citizens.