DUBAI // Customs officials have declined to give details of the origin or likely fate of a priceless haul of ancient artefacts seized as they were being smuggled into Dubai.
The inspectors found 128 items, including pottery, jewellery and coins, hidden behind a false wall in a dhow they boarded in June. It was the biggest seizure of smuggled archaeological items ever in the UAE.
The raid was kept secret until this week. Officials initially said the artefacts, some as old as 5,000 years, were stolen from Iraq.
However yesterday officials refused to directly answer questions on the likely origin of the artefacts. The six men arrested in the raid are believed to be from Iran.
Mr Ahmed Butti Ahmed, director general of Dubai Customs, said that when they were questioned about where they had sailed from, they changed their answers several times.
"Dubai is a centre for all kinds of legal trade, and in any country where there is a lot of trade you expect these things...We expect people to try and trade illegal things through here," Mr Ahmed said.
Mr Ahmed praised the three inspectors who boarded the dhow and decided to knock down the fake wall although the captain of the boat said doing so would cause the dhow to sink.
Ali Aldabbagh, the spokesman for the Iraqi government, said his country had not been told of the seizure. "This has been a big problem for Iraq since the time of Saddam. Iraq is known as the birthplace of civilisation and culture, and there has been a lot of damage done to our heritage," he said.
The general security situation made it difficult to stop smuggling.
"Last week we found millions of dollars in cash in a bag being taken across the border. Only when we have secure borders will we be able to stop this kind of trade."
Joan MacIver, the administrator of the British Institute for the Study of Iraq, said there was an international effort to return looted antiquities.
"We have to try and make sure that parts of Iraq's heritage that are stolen do go back, but obviously a lot of items are looted and smuggled out with no proper records being made of where they were found. Interpol has a list of things missing from the National Museum in Baghdad, but it is much more difficult when it comes to things taken directly from archaeological sites."
gmcclenaghan@thenational.ae
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MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
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Company%20profile
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Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Living in...
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Liverpool
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Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
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Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
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Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
India squad
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
