Cyprus fines US, Norwegian men for illegal shipwreck search

NICOSIA, Cyprus – A Cypriot law enforcement official says a court has fined a U.S. national and a Norwegian man 6,000 euros ($6,730) each for illegally searching for an old shipwreck off the east Mediterranean island’s coast.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to disclose details of the case publicly, said Friday authorities had received a tip in February that the two men were looking for the shipwreck aboard a research vessel.

The 36-year-old American and 44-year-old Norwegian were convicted last month on two charges of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanour and attempting to illegally search for antiquities without formal authorization.

Cyprus has a seafaring tradition going back thousands of years. Wrecks discovered off its coast are dated as far back as the 5th century B.C.