TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have recently busted a smuggling gang that was illegally trading ancient relics in Sari, northern Mazandaran province, IRNA reported.

A total of 278 historical objects including brass and bronze bowls, spearheads, bracelets, coins, bronze ring, and earrings, dating back to different historical eras,  have been confiscated in this regard, the report added.

According to the experts, all the discovered relics, which were handed over to the province’s cultural heritage department, have cultural value and historical antiquity.

Three culprits were also surrendered to the judicial system for further investigation.

Soaked in a vibrant history, Mazandaran (also known as Tabarestan) was a cradle of civilization since the beginning of the first millennium BC. According to Britannica Encyclopedia, it was almost overrun in about 720 CE by the Arab raiders.

Its insecure eastern and southeastern borders were crossed by Mongol invaders in the 13th and 14th centuries. Cossacks attacked the region in 1668 but were repulsed. It was ceded to the Russian Empire by a treaty in 1723, but the Russians were never secure in their occupation. The area was restored to Iran under the Qajar dynasty. The northern section of the region consists of a lowland alongside the Caspian and an upland along the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains.

ABU/MG