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| June 5, 2005 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1426 |
Artifacts worth billions seized
PESHAWAR, June 4: The customs authorities at Peshawar Airport foiled a smuggling bid and seized valuable antiques worth billions of rupees from a motorcar parked on the premises of Shaheen Cargo. Assistant Collector Customs, Peshawar Airport, Dr Sadia Sadaf, had been tipped off that an effort would be made to smuggle out antiques to the United States.
In order to foil the bid, the customs officials had been put on high alert. On Friday, a car with registration number NRH-12, entered the parking lot of Shaheen Cargo.
On suspicion, the car was brought to the office of the Superintendent Customs, PIA Cargo, for search which led to the seizure of precious antiques, including small statues, bowls.
The authorities took into custody two persons Shakeel Ahmed and Mushtaq Ahmed in connection with the case.
In order to ascertain the actual value of the seized antiques, the assistant collector called officials of the archaeology department, who estimated the price of the artifacts at billions of rupees in the international market. —APP
Our Bureau adds: The seized items are more than 100 in number and belong to Islamic and pre-Islamic periods, officials said.
The include ornaments, pottery, decoration pieces made of glassware and bronze, all concealed in boxes. The alleged smugglers are residents of Shabqadar.
An official said that the consignment was being booked for New York at the airport.
Director of Peshawar Museum, Dr Ihsan Ali, along with other officials of the federal and provincial archaeological department, inspected the items.
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