Bid to smuggle artifacts foiled in Kohat

posted in the news


Customs officials here Monday recovered precious artifacts including sculptures from a Karachi-bound bus and arrested three persons.

Sources said the ancient objects from the Buddhist era were reported to be worth Rs35 billion in the international market. The artifacts included 37 sculptures, six figurines, two daggers, cups and a knife.

The officials said the relics were being transported to Karachi from where it were to be smuggled to Canada. The archeologists were summoned from Peshawar to estimate the cost of the recovered artifacts and sculptures.

They said the statues were more than 3,000 years old and belonged to the age of Buddha. The arrested smugglers were identified as Sher Ali, Khaista Khan and Faqir Muhammad. Due to lack of proper check and vigilance by the government authorities on the archaeological sites in the NWFP, illegal excavation has become a lucrative business.