Baghdad / NINA / The Federal Integrity Commission announced the seizure of more than (100) artifacts through a major qualitative operation in an archaeological site in Wasit Governorate.
Speaking about the details of the seizure process, the Commission’s Investigation Department stated: “The Commission’s investigation office in Wasit Governorate received information through one of its reporting outlets that some trespassers on an archaeological site located between the districts of Al-Nu’maniyah and Al-Ahrar in the province extracted antiquities and sold them through a smuggling network inside the governorate, without taking any legal action against them.”
The department said that the commission’s investigation office in Wasit governorate rushed to form a team to investigate the information received, and to move to the Antiquities Department, where it was found that the site was not fenced, unmaintained, or protected, indicating that the results of the investigations were presented to the competent court, which in turn decided to open an investigation in accordance with Article (40 / First of the Antiquities and Heritage Law No. 55 of 2002), pointing out that the decision included conducting an inspection at the archaeological site, searching for archaeological and heritage materials allegedly extracted, and seizing everything that constitutes a crime.
The office team was able, after moving with the director of the Wasit Antiquities Department to the site, and coordinating with law enforcement agencies in the province, to apprehend one of the suspects in the smuggling of artifacts.
The department indicated that the operation also resulted in the seizure of (104) artifacts of various shapes and sizes./ End
Source: National Iraqi News Agency