Cultural heritage is the national identity and history of a civilization, past and present. At the same time, it is the expression of its values, customs, and practices, and must therefore, be preserved and maintained for future generations. Cultural heritage and cultural properties have been destroyed, looted and trafficked throughout history. It is the responsibility of law enforcement to safeguard, to the best of its abilities, the cultural heritage of all cultures from any form of violence, aggression, denigration, or crime. The theft of art and cultural heritage artifacts occurs the world over, and Southern Africa is not immune. It is not a harmless crime with seemingly limited impact, but in fact, it is a crime that generates vast profits, drives other criminality, and damages national pride. Art crime includes the theft, obtaining through fraud, raiding, and trafficking of a range of cultural artifacts. These types of crimes, targeting all types of works of art, happen more often, and more frequent, than most appreciate. Various types of art may be stolen during war or stolen from cultural and heritage sites such as museums and art galleries. Art and artifacts may be traded for a range of other illicit commodities, such as firearms or drugs. These types of crimes are often used to launder proceeds of crime and may hold or store value over time for criminal syndicates. Stolen art is often linked to international organized crime groups and is a significant transnational criminal enterprise. This is an international crime, as stolen items are often moved across borders, which elevates it as a priority crime. Illicit trafficking of art and cultural heritage artifacts often involve several national jurisdictions, and consequently, legal technicalities at national, regional and international levels are being exploited by individuals and organised crime syndicates. It is often tied to the illicit flow of funds and assets. This crime-type is also linked to wildlife crimes, as museum pieces such as mounted rhinoceros horns, elephant tusks, and other preserved endangered and extinct species have been targeted. Art crime is under-reported and under-detected in the region due to lack of awareness. Despite the low rates of reporting and detection, enough cases are occurring to suggest this crime is ongoing in the region. Cases of stolen paintings, ceramics, bronze sculptures, and antiques have all be reported across Southern Africa in recent years.