Historical coins destined for smuggling recovered at border checkpoint

A citizen attempting to cross into a neighboring country through the Sariosiyo border customs post of the Surkhandarya regional customs department was caught with 267 pieces of antique jewelry in his hand luggage, which he failed to declare during an oral customs inspection. This was reported by the regional customs department.

Customs officers initiated an art examination to determine the origin and value of the items. According to experts, 39 silver coins, designed as pendants, were minted in the Bukhara Emirate in the 19th century. The remaining jewelry items date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and are classified as cultural property.

The recovered items have been transferred to the Termez Archaeological Museum, and an investigation is currently underway.

For your information, according to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 131 dated March 23, 1999, cultural property created 50 years ago or earlier is prohibited from being exported from Uzbekistan.

It should be recalled that earlier in the Samarkand region, a citizen was detained for attempting to smuggle coins from the 1st century to Turkey. The coins were identified as 100 kurus and 65 kurus denominations minted in Turkey in 1923, with a preliminary estimated value of 15 million soums.