To the police in Spain, the artifacts possessed an ancient and golden allure. The five individuals were arrested and charged with money laundering, and the national police released images and video of the stolen items, saying that their value was around 60 million euros, or $64 million. But two experts in Greco-Scythian artifacts said in interviews that the items seized are most likely modern imitations of those crafted by ancient Greeks for Scythian nomads who, in the 4th century B.C., traversed what is now Ukraine and southern Russia. Leonid Babenko, an archaeologist at the M.F. Sumtsov Kharkiv Historical Museum in Kharkiv, Ukraine, said in an email that the items were “clumsy fakes” and had most likely been created for private collectors.

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Persons: Leonid Babenko Organizations: Sumtsov Kharkiv Historical Museum Locations: Spain, Ukraine, Madrid, Russia, Sumtsov Kharkiv, Kharkiv