Director General of Dubai Customs, Ahmed Butti, described in a press conference the attempt to smuggle antiquities as “the largest in the level of smuggled antiquities seizures,” noting that “the smuggled antiquities are priceless, especially since they include gold and silver statues, pottery and ceramic vessels, in addition to gold coins.” They date back to pre-Islamic times, and some date back to the Abbasid era.”
He explained that “the smuggling operation took place while customs inspectors suspected an empty wooden ship, the crew members of which were trying to cross the entrance to the creek, but the confusion and tension that appeared on its members, as they tried to expedite customs procedures, reinforced the suspicions of the inspectors (who were trained to read body language).” They subjected the ship to inspection, and it was discovered that there was a barrier at the end of the ship, and its members confirmed that it was part of it, and by removing it, the ship would sink,” adding that “the inspectors insisted on removing it, only to discover the presence of a large number of antiquities hidden in paper boxes, which were initially described as smuggled antiquities.”
Butti confirmed that “the ship’s captain and crew denied their connection and knowledge of the presence of antiquities on board the ship, but the initial investigation with the individuals revealed that one of the sailors confessed to storing the boxes without the knowledge of the ship’s captain and the rest of the individuals, who still refuse to specify the destination from which they came.”
He continued: “As soon as the antiquities were seized, they were presented to a specialized expert from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, who confirmed that the smuggled items belong to antiquities dating back to the third 1000 BC until the Islamic era, and that their financial value is priceless, given their historical importance and their cognitive and scientific significance.” Especially since the smuggled items include stone statues and figures, pottery and silver utensils, coins, gold and silver jewelry, and jewelry dating back to different periods of the history of the Middle East region.”
He stated that “the Customs Administration has kept the seized antiquities in a safe place, and under strict guard, until they are handed over to the competent authorities,” noting that “the six smugglers (of Iranian nationality) were arrested, and the necessary legal measures were taken with them, and the antiquities will be subject to inspection and examination in the “Next January, a British expert will come to Dubai for this purpose.”
Butti pointed out that “the smuggling attempt was foiled last June, and its announcement was kept secret until it was examined by an expert to determine whether the antiquities were authentic or fake.”
Butti refused to reveal the identity of the antiquities, despite the media’s insistence to know their identity, which suggested that they were Iraqi antiquities, especially since the visual material that was shown during the press conference, which was held to reveal the smuggling operation, made it clear that Dubai Customs thwarted an attempt to smuggle Iraqi antiquities. .
He explained that “there are many antiquities, and it is difficult to determine their identity until an antiquities expert arrives at the beginning of next year,” noting that “antiquities gangs and smugglers deliberately move between countries in an attempt to mislead the follow-up process.”
In addition, the three inspectors who uncovered the antiquities smuggling attempt, namely: Officer Inspector Saeed Musabah Al Habtoor, Inspector Marwan Salem Mubarak, and Inspector Muhammad Abdullah Al Suwaidi, received special honor from the Director of Dubai Customs, who awarded them new ranks in appreciation for the efforts they made in the inspection process. Combating piracy and thwarting attempts at smuggling and trafficking in smuggled antiquities.
Butti reported that “customs inspectors were able three days ago to thwart a second attempt to smuggle antiquities.”
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