OREANDA-NEWS. 3 thousand icons of Russian origin, which were confiscated by the German customs authorities, will be returned to the Russian Federation.

According to the head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Major General of Police Alexander Prokopchuk, these icons were attempted to be illegally transported to Germany. The officer added that now this issue is being resolved through the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

“The decision to return the relics was made by the state authorities of Germany on the basis of an expert opinion issued by specialists from the Ministry of Culture of Russia with the participation of Interpol, which confirmed the Russian origin of the icons,” Prokopchuk explained during an interview with TASS news agency.

He also informed that more than 250 items of historical and cultural value have been returned to Russia through Interpol over the past 10 years.