Three charged in theft of Viking treasures

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Three men are facing charges in the theft of Viking treasures from a Swedish archaeological dig site and will face trial, authorities said Friday.

They were arrested Tuesday on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland where about 500 silver artifacts were stolen from the dig site, The Local reported on its Web site.

Archaeologists discovered the theft when they arrived at the dig site Monday. About 250 holes had been dug by thieves. Authorities put the value of the stolen items at between $35,000 and $70,000, the Swedish news Web site said.

One of the accused works for an auction house that specializes in selling old coins, police said.

The maximum sentence for aggravated cultural heritage offenses is four years in prison.