Looting History

The series begins in 2003 when 15,000 priceless antiquities from the cradle of civilization were stolen from the unprotected Iraq Museum during the invasion by Allied forces.

How Isis sold antiquities to fund its terrorist actions aganst the West, with collectors turning a blind eye to the source of the items they were buying.

How the trade in stolen antiquities and art has become a major source of income for criminal syndicates, gangs, and terrorists. This episode focuses on thefts from the land of the pharaohs.

A discovery at Memphis International Airport shakes the foundations of one of the US' wealthiest families.

How the curator of the J Paul Getty Museum's antiquities collection, Marion True, fell into disgrace, brought down by jet-setting antiquities dealer, Robin Symes. She was accused of participating in a conspiracy that laundered stolen artifacts through private collections.

The case of hedge-fund billionaire and collector Michael Steinhardt, who in December 2021 surrendered 180 stolen relics worth an estimated $70million and agreed to an `unprecedented" lifetime ban on acquiring antiquities.