Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) arrested an antiquities trafficking network, recovering hundreds of unique artifacts from six different provinces.
The intelligence-guided operations, approved by the local judiciary, targeted black-market dealers and smugglers in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Nineveh, Anbar, Babil, and Wasit.
The INSS said in a statement that the recovered artifacts include five rare ancient statues seized in Baghdad, five historic pottery pieces, an ancient cylinder seal, hundreds of ancient metal and rare gold coins, and numerous ancient manuscripts.
The coordinated operations resulted in the arrest of several alleged antiquities smugglers, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The suspects have been transferred to judicial bodies to face criminal charges under Iraq’s antiquities protection laws.
The items seized are being legally processed before being handed over to the National Museum of Iraq for preservation.
This campaign is part of Baghdad’s battle to reclaim its cultural identity.
Iraq’s rich legacy has suffered significant losses, beginning with the looting of approximately 15,000 items from the country’s national museum during the 2003 battle and continuing with widespread illegal excavations and black-market sales carried out by ISIS terrorists after 2014.
Over the previous few years, the government has recovered over 40,000 artifacts from global and domestic criminal markets following internal security operations and international initiatives.