TEHRAN - Police in Iran recovered 6810 historical objects from smugglers or illegal diggers over the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage said on Tuesday.

A total of 1654 culprits were detained in this regard and surrendered to judicial system for further investigation, Amir Rahmatollahi said, IRNA reported.

“In this connection, 15,312 fake objects were confiscated as well.”

Iran hosts some of the world’s oldest cultural monuments including bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, gardens, rich natural, rural landscapes as well as 22 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

AFM/MG