Argentine diplomat caught smuggling Persian relics

Article from PressTV

barghi20090930202841562Argentine diplomat has been caught red-handed, smuggling a considerable amount of Persian relics and ancient artifacts out of Iran.

According to an informed source at the Iranian Customs Administration, the artifacts included age-old manuscripts, a priceless collection of antique guns, as well as a whole set of ancient coins which dated back to the third and fourth century.

Packed in 318 cardboard boxes, the antique items reportedly weighed around 4,000 kg (8,818 lb).

“Security officials discovered the antique items after conducting a thorough inspection of the diplomat’s cargo,” noted the source.

This is not the first time that a foreign diplomat tries to smuggle Persian antiquities out of the country.

 

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Earlier in March, the third secretary of the South Korean Embassy in Tehran was caught smuggling a priceless relic dating to the Achaemenid dynastic era out of Iran.

Customs officials in Shiraz Airport seized the remnant after they found it in the South Korean diplomat’s luggage during check-in. The envoy was later released due to his diplomatic immunity.

“Customs officials in Shiraz Airport found an Achaemenid relief depicting the top section of head of an Achaemenid soldier, weigh 2kg (4.4 lb) from Persepolis in the luggage of the 3rd secretary of the South Korean Embassy in Iran,” IRNA quoted Shiraz public and revolutionary prosecutor, Jaber Banshi, as saying.

“The relic has been delivered to the provincial cultural heritage office, but no cultural official has filed a complaint so far,” he added.

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Customs officers of South Tehran confiscated thousands of ancient objects and artifacts after they became suspicious about the items the former Argentinean embassy attaché, Sebastian Zavala, was trying to transfer out of the country.

While adhering to the Vienna Convention on Consular Rights, they inspected parts of the cargo in the presence of the Argentinean charge d’affaires in Tehran.

Coins dating back to the Parthian, Sassanid and Seljuk periods, ancient religious and historical manuscripts, a priceless collection of pre-Islamic weaponry, military insignias, antique guns, and Persian tile and metal works were among the objects packed in 318 cardboard boxes.

Zavala left Tehran when his mission in Iran ended after seven and a half years in June 2009.

Nearly five months after the antiques were confiscated, the items have not yet been valued, ISNA reported.

“The objects are priceless and need to be closely examined by experts,” Iran’s Customs Administration spokesperson, Mohammad Ahani told reporters Sunday.

“The number of confiscated items was contrary to Zavala’s customs statement and weighed 5,800 kg,” he added.

This is not the first time that a foreign diplomat tries to smuggle Iranian antiquities out of the country.

Earlier in March, the third secretary of the South Korean Embassy in Tehran was caught smuggling an Achaemenid relic.

TE/MB

Experts to price relics seized from Argentine envoy

Iran’s cultural heritage experts are called on to price the antique objects confiscated from an Argentine diplomat in Tehran.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 4th, 2009 at 8:48 pm and is filed under World news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.