Pakistan

Swat police foil attempt to smuggle valuable antiques

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Staff Reporter

2 years ago

SWAT: The Swat Police have thrawt the attempt to smuggle thousand years old antiques worth millions of rupees to China and arrested the accused.

Ghalegy Police Station SHO Roshan Ali, in a press conference along with Landakay Checkpost incharge Taj Muhammad Khan and Deputy Director of Archaeology Department, Malakand Division, Faizur Rehman, said that they were doing routine checking at Landakay Forest Checkpost when a car was stopped and searched, hundreds of valuable antiques were recovered from the vehicle.

Police said that after being brought to Swat, the accused were attempting to sneak the antiques to China via Gilgit-Balistan; however, the authorities stopped the smuggling operation.

“These antiques include tools, coins, and decorative items, including consumables,” SHO said.

Upon investigation, the accused named Ghulam Jilani, a Quetta resident, failed to produce the ownership documentation. Police had arrested and filed a complaint against him under the Antiquities Act 2106 and formed a team to assess the other accused involved in the smuggling.

According to the Department of Archaeology, antiquities date back to four thousand years Before Christ (BC). Ninety percent of the antiquities are extracted from underground and it is not possible to estimate how much these antiquities are worth.

Faizur Rehman, Deputy Director of the Department of Archaeology, Malakand Division, said these artifacts include complete antiques and different types of equipment.

“It contains both original works and copies, but both are offenses under the Antiquities Act,” he said.

According to the officials, under the Antiquities Act, stealing a national heritage and taking it abroad is prohibited and according to the law, it is a major crime.

Staff Reporter