MINGORA: Police officials on Sunday claimed to have arrested three men for smuggling Buddhist artifacts out of Swat.
Police said that they carried out a raid at Baorrai village in Khwazakhela tehsil after receiving an intelligence report. Three smugglers were trying to transport five ancient Buddhist artifacts in a car. The police seized the artifacts and arrested the smugglers.
Station House Officer (SHO) Khwazakhela Fazal Rabi informed the media that five artifacts including statues of Buddha had been unearthed recently.
Some of the artifacts are made of bronze while others of silver. SHO Rabi said that the arrested had told the police that they had purchased the artifacts upon payment of Rs 4 million and were trying to sell them to international smugglers.
Rabi added that cases had been registered against the arrested under Antiquities ACT and further investigation is ongoing.
The arrested were identified as residents of Khwazakhela named Sherullah, Zakirullah and Abdul Ghafar.