PESHAWAR: The excise police recovered two ancient statues from a car at a joint checkpost here on Tuesday night.

However, the inmates of the car were allowed to go.

According to a statement issued here on Wednesday, the excise police took action in line with the guidelines issued by the Apex Committee regarding the prevention of illegal spectrum and smuggling.

The recovered artifacts included a seated Buddha in Abhaya Mudra and a standing figure of Maitreya Bodhisattva. Both the statues, which hold immense historical and cultural value, are estimated to be worth millions on the international market.

The statues were handed over to the archaeology department for further legal and preservation procedures.

When contacted, an excise official told Dawn: “We took details of those carrying the statues but did not arrest them.”

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2025