estaban confiscando
-they/you were confiscating
Imperfecto progresivo para el sujetoellos/ellas/ustedesdel verboconfiscar.

confiscar

La plaza estaba aún más abarrotada, ya que el público de la arena había salido de ella; muchos inventores acababan de descubrir que los agentes estaban confiscando sus preciados inventos o ya se los habían llevado.
The plaza was even more crowded now, presumably with members of the arena audience—many of whom were inventors who were now discovering that the enforcers were laying claim to their precious inventions, or had already removed them.
Palabra del día
el batidor