>> no artifact would be worth my own personal liberty or reputation regardless of how it was obtained. Exactly. But for many people possession of such artifac

>> no artifact would be worth my own personal liberty or reputation regardless of how it was obtained. Exactly. But for many people possession of such artifacts is seen as protection against jail. Certain European organized crime figures have used the "return of cultural treasures" as a bargaining chip in plea negotiations. Possession of stolen art, or at least knowledge of where it is hidden, can reduce one's time in prison. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/magazine/what-is-the-value-of-stolen-art.html https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/magazine/what-is-the-valu... "A prison sentence, for instance, might be reduced in some jurisdictions in exchange for a criminal’s help in retrieving a missing Monet. In effect, an unframed canvas, easier to move across borders than its equivalent in cash or drugs, acts as a high-value and extremely pretty bank note." https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2020/10/13/steal-and-repeat-why-art-gets-stolen-time-and-again https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2020/10/13/steal-and-repeat-... "In other examples, it appears that anticipating the authorities catching up with them is exactly the reason why such prime works are appealing to criminals. “One thing I’m seeing more of is the use of such stolen works as a bargaining chip for [reducing] sentences,” says Robert Read, the head of art and private clients at Hiscox. “This trend was noted about a decade ago, but as sentencing gets more creative in the courtroom, it would appear that criminals are viewing it as more of an opportunity—in this case the more publicity and better known a work, the better.”"