‘Priceless’ haul of over 27,000 artefacts seized in France

French authorities have seized a "priceless" haul of over 27,000 archaeological artefacts ranging from Bronze Age bracelets to Roman coins that had been secretly amassed by a single person in the east of the country, customs said yesterday.

The seizure of the 27,400 objects was the result of a year-long investigation conducted by French customs, Belgian authorities and the French culture ministry.

The hoarder, who has not been named and now faces a criminal probe, had built up the collection for personal and trading purposes, the French customs service said.

He had amassed the collection himself using metal detectors as well as what appears to be a deep archaeological knowledge.