HYDERABAD, May 19: Police recovered on Wednesday a large number of antiques stolen from different museums valued at tens of millions of rupees.

DIG of Hyderabad Sanaullah Abbasi had received reports about smuggling of antiques and on his instructions surveillance on roads was increased.

A police patrol and some agencies' people arrested two elderly persons near Petaro toll plaza in Jamshoro. Identified as Mohammad Sadiq Gabol and Abdul Karim Chhachhar, they were carrying two bundles containing a large number of stolen antiques.

The culture department was contacted and the director of Sindh museum Mohammad Ayoub Jamali and other officials rushed to the Jamshoro police station where they examined the antiques.

Addressing a news conference, in-charge DPO of Jamshoro district Syed Imdad Shah and SPO Ghulam Hussain Mastoi said that they had recovered a large number of antiques, including rifles, swords, arrows, idols, ornaments, sculptures and utensils, from the two arrested persons.

They said that the accused after stealing antiques from museums used to smuggle them to foreign countries or sold them to rich people. They said that Sadiq Gabol was a former employee of Rani Kot where he had worked as a chowkidar.

Police claimed that the accused had confessed to have committed the crime and that a lot of information had been received.

The museum director said that the theft from museums had been continuing for quite sometime.

He said antiques had been stolen from the Hyderabad Pakka Qilla and other places and added that the recovered items were costly. He said the antiques would be sent to laboratories to ascertain their age and worth.