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Episode details

World Service,01 Jan 2024,38 mins

Hunting for icons in the underworld, part 1

Lives Less Ordinary

Available for over a year

Tasoula Hadjitofi uncovered a shady network looting her country's most sacred relics In 1974 Tasoula's country, Cyprus, was torn in two by war. Distraught and unable to return home she ended up in the Netherlands where some years later a shadowy art dealer approached her with some astonishing news. Religious artefacts sacred to her faith that had adorned the churches she prayed in as a girl had been chiselled away, and were now being sold on the black market. And so began Tasoula's decade-long search for the stolen relics. But she would first have to learn from the criminals in order to catch them. Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Edgar Maddicott Sound Design: Joe Munday Editor: Harry Graham

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