SWAT: Two people involved in illegal excavation near an archaeological site were arrested after police and officials of the archaeology department raided a site at Nagigram in Barikot tehsil.

According to officials, the action was taken on receiving information about illegal excavation at the archaeological site in Kolalano Dherai near Tokardara Stupa in Najigram valley.

“We immediately formed a team along with police and reached the spot where we found a group busy in illegal excavation. We managed to arrest two persons while about eight people manage to flee,” said Faizur Rehman, assistant director of archaeology and head of archaeological sites in Malakand division.

He said that the arrested people were being investigated. He hoped to arrest the other people involved in the illegal activity.

The director of archaeology and museums, Dr Abdul Samad, said that the illegal diggers were arrested in Swat under KP Antiquities Act. “Directorate of Archaeology and Museums has incorporated strict regulations through the amended 2022 Antiquities Act on illegal digging and safeguarding the archaeological sites,” he said.

He said that archaeology department strictly monitored the sites and took immediate action against the illegal excavators.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022