Baghdad: Intelligence services have successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle more than 800 ancient coins and have apprehended the individual in possession of them. According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency announced on Sunday that their operations in Baghdad/Rusafa led to the interception of the smuggling attempt and the arrest of the suspect in Baghdad.

The agency revealed in a press release that the suspect confessed during the investigation to possessing the artifacts with the intention of trading and dealing in them outside of legal boundaries. The agency emphasized its ongoing commitment to combating the smuggling and trafficking of antiquities to preserve the country’s cultural and civilizational heritage.