Amphorae seized from antiquities thieves in southern Italy Wednesday were taken from a previously undiscovered Greek ship, police said.

Police caught the pair red-handed as they were hauling five of the ancient wine containers onto their boat about three miles off the small Puglian port of Ugento.

The amphorae had a market value of some 3,000 euros each, experts estimated.

The amphorae were dated to the second and third centuries BC, when that part of Italy was a Greek colony.

A search of one of the men's homes turned up some 40 other amphorae of the same age as well as seven hand-guns.

The amphorae were handed over to the Ugento Museum.

Police said there were more of the objects scattered on the seabed around the shipwreck.