Investigation Underway as Spanish Police Recover Looted 16th-Century Cannon
Spain’s Civil Guard, or Guardia Civil, police force has released footage showing the recovery of a 16th-century cannon it said had been looted from the sea floor after being discovered near A Coruna.
Police said five men and two women were being investigated “as alleged perpetrators of a crime against historical heritage”.
They said three bronze cannons had been discovered by fishermen on April 14, but that one had disappeared the next day when authorities went to recover them.
They said footage then circulated online showing the removal of one of the cannons. It has not been verified if the underwater footage released by police is footage of the theft, or if it is the removal from the sea floor of one of the other two cannons.
Police said the cannons were possibly from the Spanish Armada of 1596. The recovered cannon was taken to a nearby museum, where work was being done to prevent its deterioration. Credit: Guardia Civil via Storyful
