Recently, employees of the State Customs Service prevented the export of a large number of ancient artifacts from the territory of Uzbekistan.
According to the Customs Committee, 325 ancient coins, jewelry, artifacts, weights, and arrowheads were found among the hand luggage and bags of a citizen departing from Uzbekistan on the Tashkent-Novosibirsk passenger train. The 210 coins contained in these historical items can be considered a unique collection of coins belonging to almost all states that emerged in the history of Uzbek statehood.
According to the art history expertise, these ancient artifacts cover the period from the 2nd-1st centuries BC to the 20th century. Therefore, all of them were recognized as having historical and cultural value, and their approximate value was estimated at almost 400 million soums.
In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On the Export and Import of Cultural Valuables," the Customs Committee is the authorized body carrying out state regulation of the export and import of cultural valuables. According to Article 8 of this law, cultural values created fifty years ago or even earlier cannot be exported from the Republic of Uzbekistan!
The Committee transferred these detained historical artifacts for temporary storage to the museum fund of the Center of Islamic Civilization of Uzbekistan.