THREAD: Being a veteran “treasure hunter” that sources from developing countries with histories of antiquities looting isn’t an asset — its a serious problem.

@insidehook may want to consider the risks associated with what they’re promoting here.

We’ll break it down👇

https://twitter.com/insidehook/status/1425467070716780546

.@insidehook says Casa Berbere sells “antiquities from the four corners of the world… work[ing] with a wide network of reputable dealers from Thailand to Tunisia.”

Problem: Tunisia doesn’t legally allow the sale/export of antiquities so not sure how reputable those dealers are.

Facebook is still providing traffickers with a direct line to financiers of looting activities.

Here, a looter in Egypt posts a video of the pharaonic reliefs he has access to, he just needs funding to help finish the site

A recent case shows how a funding scheme works-THREAD On June 30, Egypt announced the detention of a gang of 19 people, including a wealthy businessman and a former MP, for a vast scheme that involved both looting and trafficking antiquities

english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/…

THREAD: How Facebook's facilitation of antiquities trafficking can feed conflicts.

Here, a user in Yemen posts a Quran for sale in a Facebook group for manuscript and antiquities trafficking.

The group was created last month despite FB's June policy banning such activity. The user's Facebook page lists his location in Sana'a, Yemen.

Sana'a's old city is a @UNESCO World Heritage site that has played an important role in both Arab and Islamic history. whc.unesco.org/en/list/385/

In recent years, the area has been devastated by conflict.

THREAD: This group created last month for trafficking Jewish artifacts and manuscripts is still growing

Material from users in conflict zones is still pervasive and generating interest

This user listed in Benghazi, Libya posted a series of Jewish books and manuscripts for sale

https://twitter.com/ATHARProject/status/1332711603075158017

Whether these manuscripts are real or fake, they can still fund illicit networks. In some cases, like the forged Dead Sea Scrolls at the Bible museum, real ancient & looted material can be used to make forgeries.

The September date in the user's photos suggests they are not new.

THREAD: Facebook relies on the public, researchers, & journalists to moderate their platform. But even blatantly violating content does not get removed.

On Sat. we reported weapons for sale in an antiquities trafficking group—it went as expected.

Facebook, this is unacceptable.

https://twitter.com/CounteringCrime/status/1333460374058897408

On Saturday, November 28, ATHAR found and reported an advertisement post in a Facebook antiquities trafficking group that was offering weapons for sale to anyone in Egypt.

The user, listed in Cairo, was offering delivery to any governorate.

THREAD UPDATE 2: Three days ago we highlighted how this Facebook group created on Nov 6 for trafficking books and artifacts had doubled.

It gained another 500+ members in that 3 days, and more illicit material is being offered for sale from across MENA, including in conflict.

https://twitter.com/ATHARProject/status/1331615942628036609

New material is offered in this antiquities trafficking Facebook group every hour.

Just three hours ago a user, who does not have a listed location, offered a handwritten Quran for sale.

Within minutes group members inquired about the price.

This is the Facebook black market.

THREAD UPDATE: Just one week ago we posted this new Facebook group created for trafficking Jewish manuscripts and artifacts

7 days later, the membership has more than doubled from 727 members to roughly 1,600 members

That's a rate of over 120 new members per day since last week

https://twitter.com/ATHARProject/status/1329071483423961088

This Facebook trafficking group's rapid growth means that members are offering trafficked pieces for sale more frequently.

Just 4 hours ago a user with an unlisted location offered a torah scroll for sale.

Reminder: Facebook banned the sale of historical artifacts in June.

THREAD: Today Zuck faced a lot of questions about FB hate speech. But the platform is also hosting criminal activity.

In the case of antiquities war crime, Facebook is actually *facilitating* it.

We'll show how once trafficker in Libya is using FB to maximize potential buyers A user who lists his location as Darnah, Libya is a prime example of how Facebook has rapidly accelerated transnational trafficking in conflict zones.

This Libya-based user recently posted Libyan antiquities for sale across multiple Facebook groups for antiquities trafficking

Facebook's public and private groups for trafficking illicit antiquities continue to grow

We're going to take you through antiquities trafficking posts from this month to examine how group members communicate, field offers, and even mock those attempting to offer fakes.

THREAD Facebook's black market antiquities groups allow anyone to become an amateur trafficker, democratizing the illicit trade

As such, many users don't know the value of what they find, and take to Facebook for info and buyers. Such is the case of this sword from a user in Morocco

It's been two months since Facebook's policy on that bans the sale of historical artifacts on the platform

Here's a look at what's been posted in Facebook trafficking groups this month:

Dirt-caked glass artifacts and beads listed for sale in an Idlib, Syria-based group. A user posts statue heads for sale in a Facebook trafficking group and notes that they are available in Libya.

At least one of the statue heads has a veil over her face, reminiscent of the veiled goddesses at the UNESCO world heritage cite of Cyrene, Libya.

(cc @BelzicMorgan)