Italian police said Wednesday they had arrested aGeorgian tourist for attempting to steal artefacts from a newly-restored site at the ancient Roman ruins of Pompeii, dpa reported. Manuchar Cublashvili, 34, was seen removing three mosaic tiles from the Domus of Triptolemus, which was reopened to the public in April. Caught in the act by patroling officers, he was apprehended after a brief chase through the ruins. Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Naples, was destroyed in 79 AD, along with nearby Hercolaneum, by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius that killed thousands of people. Italy has long been criticized for neglecting the site, which has been plagued by thefts and building collapses, aided by bureaucratic incompetence and botched conservation works infiltrated by the local mafia, the Camorra. -- SPA 21:10 LOCAL TIME 18:10 GMT تغريد
