LARKANA, May 12: Archeology and Museums Director-General Saeedur Rehman has constituted a committee to initiate a probe into the recent burglary incident where 40 precious seals and copper tablets were stolen by unknown gangsters.

Talking to Dawn at Mohenjodaro on Saturday, Rehman said he had also proposed severe action against the local archeology department officials.

The inquiry committee comprised of Dr Fazal Dad Kakar, deputy director and in charge, exploration, Saleemul Haq, director, headquarter, and Mohammad Mehrban, southern circle in charge of the archeology and museums department.

On Saturday, the hunt for the burglars, responsible for taking away some 38 stone seals and two copper tablets, continued as the footprints were followed jointly by the police and some archeology department personnel.

Meanwhile, Larkana District Police Officer Ghulam Nabi Memon has suspended and demoted the SHO, airport police station, for negligence in duty as the police station is only yards away from the Archeology Museum where the theft occurred.

Zulfikar Solangi has been made the new SHO of the airport police station.

Sources said that the footprints were followed towards the Dadu Canal and Bundi village in the south-western area of Mohenjodaro.

The footprints also carried blood stains of one of the four burglars who received injuries while smashing the glass of the artifacts show case.

The sources in the department of archaeology called the incident a conspiracy to sabotage the recently held UNESCO-sponsored conference of experts at Mohenjodaro from April 24 to 27.

The high-level conference was aimed at not only to protect the relics of the Indus civilization and seat of human culture at Mohenjodaro, but also there were suggestions of taking over the responsibility directly by the UNESCO to look after the site.

The sources said the matter had been reported to several national and international agencies, including land and airport customs and the UNESCO, to check the attempt of smuggling of the artifacts.