Iraq thwarts attempt to smuggle 80 artifacts in Babil

03-10-2024
Rudaw
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi security forces on Wednesday foiled an attempt to smuggle 80 artifacts in the central Babil province, state media reported, adding two suspects were arrested. 

“A joint security force in Babil province was able to arrest two people who attempted to smuggle 80 artifacts of different sizes and shapes…” state media said, citing an interior ministry statement. 

Security forces set “a tight ambush,” the statement continued, “on the international highway in the province’s south.”

The unspecified antiquities were seized “to determine their authenticity and history,” the statement added, and the suspects are being investigated. 

Iraq’s cultural artifacts have faced persistent looting and vandalism since the US invasion in 2003, a situation exacerbated by increased theft through waves of destabilization, culminating in the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014. 

In recent years, Iraq has made significant efforts to recover and repatriate these lost antiquities. 

Iraq in March 2022 re-inaugurated its national museum after years of conflict, showcasing Iraqi artifacts recovered from various countries, including the United States, Netherlands, Japan, Italy, and Lebanon.

In May 2022, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid arranged the return of over 6,000 Iraqi artifacts, which were taken by Britain centuries ago, during his visit to London to attend the coronation of King Charles III. 

Later that month, the Iraqi foreign ministry announced that Baghdad had repatriated over 34,000 artifacts since 2019 from various countries around the world. 
 

Comments

Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.

To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.

We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.

Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.

Post a comment

Required
Required
 

The Latest

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani shown in a image posted on November 4, 2024. Photo: Office of the PM

Sudani directs Iraqi government to adopt electronic payments by July

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday directed government institutions to fully transition to electronic payment methods within seven months, and ordered the establishment of an appropriate mechanism for the private sector.