Illegal Excavation Under Control in W. Azarbaijan

Heritage protection forces have arrested 76 illegal excavators in West Azarbaijan Province in the past eight months, the head of protection unit at Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said.  “The figure shows a 50% increase compared with the same period of last year, which indicates a stricter monitoring of illicit activities in the area,” Colonel Hassan Mohammadi was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency. Mohammadi noted that four metal detectors and over 60 historical relics have been seized during the period, and the relics were handed over to the province’s museums after undergoing legal procedures.  “The promising results have been due to the regular monitoring of historical sites and involvement of public, police and military forces in detecting suspicious activities,” he said.