Iraqi customs intensifies procedures to limit smuggling of antiquities

The Iraqi customs authorities intensified procedures on border outlets to prevent smuggling the Iraqi antiquities after the discovery of many smuggling attempts by Arab and foreign passengers recently.

The Iraqi newspaper Itihad quoted an official in the general organization of the customs yesterday as saying that smuggled antiquities were found hidden a captain's cabin of a foreign ship in Khor El-Zobair.

The source said, "A smuggling attempt to smuggle artistic paintings of 200 hundred years old was caught."

Previously, Iraqi Authorities discovered smuggling efforts where large monuments were being sawed off into smaller peace for smuggling and reassembling outside the country.