An Afghan Citizen arrested in Hong Kong on Suspicion of smuggling Cultural Artifacts
Hong Kong customs authorities have announced the arrest of an Afghan citizen on suspicion of attempting to smuggle 11 stone and metal cultural artifacts at the West Kowloon station.
The Chinese newspaper The Standard reported on Monday, December 15, that a physical customs inspection uncovered 11 cultural artifacts in the passenger’s luggage, including silver coins, silver bracelets, earrings, and Buddha statues.
Experts from Guangdong have estimated that the artifacts date from the second century BCE to the fifth century CE, and that all of them are classified as prohibited export items.
Hong Kong customs officials have warned that under China’s Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics, all cultural artifacts must be inspected by official authorities before export and may only be exported with legal authorization.
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns by Chinese authorities over the persistent problem of cultural relic smuggling.