DUBAI // Iraqi artefacts, described as "priceless national treasures", were seized while they were being smuggled through Dubai International Airport, customs officials said yesterday.
The haul included three bronze statues, an ornamental vase, a glazed pottery cup and coins more than 1,000 years old.
An inspector at the airport's Free Zone Inspection Centre found the items hidden inside a parcel that contained chair padding, part of a larger consignment of furniture.
The collection was allegedly bound for an Arab dealer, who has been arrested, Dubai Customs said.
The items were of "high archaeological value", dating to the Sassanid period, from 226 to 651 AD, and the Hellenistic era, which started in 323 BC and lasted 300 years.
Experts said the antiquities, if authentic, were hugely significant.
"Anything from the Hellenistic era has great historical significance, especially from Iraq," said Robert Bauval, an archaeologist and historian, who has spent more than 20 years studying architectural wonders.
"If authentic, this may be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Museums may not pay as much for it, which is why it is sold in the black market."
Mohammed al Merri, the executive director of cargo operations at Dubai Customs, said: "The items predate Iraq and Iran. Their ownership is not yet identified, they are national treasures and no value could be placed on them because they are priceless.
"They have come into Dubai from Iraq. Items from an unstable country are always thoroughly inspected. One was opened and searched while the rest were scanned through X-ray machines and the artefacts were discovered."
Mr al Merri added: "The dealer was importing it to Dubai but could not find a buyer. He was intending to keep it here until a buyer materialised and then re-export it."
The discovery has been referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will contact the relevant authority in Iraq, said Mr al Merri.
Since the US-led invasion in 2003, hundreds of Iraqi archaeological sites have been looted. Officials say this has caused untold damage to the country's heritage.
The illegal trade in stolen artefacts, worth tens of millions of dollars a year, has been pushed further underground as a number of countries have tightened restrictions on their sale.
"After the war, the Iraq museum was looted. It may be from there or possibly something discovered through excavation at an archaeological site," said Mr Bauval who is in Dubai for the two-day International Conference on Ancient Studies which starts tomorrow.
"These artefacts should either be handed to the authorities in the country it belongs or to archaeological institutes here for study," Mr Bauval added.
Dr Mark Beech, of the historic environment department of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach), condemned those who had taken the items from their point of discovery.
"It is a great loss to humanity," he said. "Iraq has a great history of ancient civilisation, which will be lost by removing such artefacts from the location. Anything stolen from this area is pillaging of the Mesopotamian era. Removing items is a massive loss of academic and historical information."
It was impossible to estimate the artefacts' value without seeing them, said Dr Beech. Their true worth lay in the "information the object contains".
"The value is in knowing its historic significance," said Dr Beech, who has researched both the Sassanid and Hellenistic eras.
The Sassanid era represented the last great Iranian Empire before the spread of Islam in the region.
Sassanid control of the west of Persia ended in the 7th Century when Muslims, led by Saad ibn Abi Waqas, seized control after the Battle of Qadisiyah.
The Hellenistic era spanned the period between the defeat of the Persians and the conquests of Alexander the Great.
In November 2008, more than 100 ancient artefacts hidden in a ship were seized by Dubai Customs. Officials said at the time that they were probably from Iraq.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
