Antiquities Smuggling Attempt Foiled in Kirkuk

Kirkuk and Kurdish region

According to Iraqi News:

Iraq has foiled an attempt to smuggle antiquities worth millions of dollars to Turkey, its interior ministry said on Saturday. The ministry’s general inspector said in a statement, quoted by Alforatnews, that ministry teams in Kirkuk blocked the transfer of scriptures and antiquities worth USD13 million to Turkey, which were in the possession of two people. Those, the statement revealed, included scriptures and a bust. It added that the suspects confessed to agreeing with another party in Turkey on the handover of the pieces. They said they were also expecting to receive more items while waiting at the Turkish borders, including jewelry belonging to the wife of late president Saddam Hussein worth millions of dollars.

Mohamed Mostafa, 'Iraq foils smuggling of USD13 mn antiquities smuggling to Turkey', Iraqi News Feb 17, 2018,