Customs officials halt smuggling of historic ornaments to Tajikistan

Customs authorities have thwarted an attempt to smuggle nearly 270 historic ornaments out of the country. The items, which date back to the period of the Bukhara Emirate, were intercepted at the Sariosiyo border customs post in Surkhandarya region as they were being illicitly transported to Tajikistan.

According to the regional customs department, the ornaments were found in the hand luggage of a traveler en route to Tajikistan. The individual had failed to declare the items during the mandatory customs check.

A total of 267 antique ornaments were confiscated. Art experts concluded that 39 of the pieces – silver coin pendants – had been minted in the 19th century under the Bukhara Emirate. The remaining items are believed to originate from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

The confiscated artifacts have since been transferred to the Termez Archaeological Museum, and an official investigation is underway.

Under current Uzbek legislation, cultural artifacts that are 50 years old or older are prohibited from being exported outside the country, as outlined in a Cabinet of Ministers resolution.

#coin #smuggling #antiques