The Internal Security Forces of North and Eastern Syria Arrest an Antiquities Dealer in Ein Issa
Ein Issa – North-Press Agency
The Internal Security Forces in the Euphrates region, an administrative division consists of areas of Kobani, Tal Abyad, and Ein Issa, have captured an antiquities dealer in Ein Issa, northern al-Raqqa, last Wednesday, June 26th.
The Security Forces of North and Eastern Syria said in a statement published on its official website on Sunday evening that the “trafficker” was trading in antiques and smuggling them to the outside of the country, indicating that he was possessing about 464 pieces of antique coins and a pot of pottery.
The Security forces indicated that after the end of preliminary investigations procedures by the team of combating the organized crimes, the dealer was transferred to the prosecution and investigation commission.
Ever since the Syrian uprising in 2011 has begun, thousands of archaeological sites were subjected to sabotage, digging and illegal excavations, as thousands of antiques were smuggled out of the country, to be sold in international markets or through electronic websites, in addition to counterfeiting some pieces and selling them as the original ones.