Chinese customs officials intercepted a foreign national attempting to illegally take ancient cultural artifacts out of the country, authorities reported.
The incident occurred at the West Kowloon Railway Port, where an Afghan man was preparing to depart. Suspicion was raised when he failed to declare the contents of his luggage. Subsequent X-ray scans revealed irregularities, prompting a detailed inspection that uncovered 11 objects believed to be cultural relics hidden in his suitcase.
These items were later verified by the Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Authentication Center. Dating back from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD, the collection includes both stone and metallic artifacts. Among them are a silver coin bearing the image of Philoxenus, a stone carving decorated with elephant motifs, a silver bracelet adorned with twin ram heads, gem-inlaid gold earrings, a miniature crystal reliquary, rings featuring gold and gemstones, bronze Buddhist figurines, and carved stone Buddhist relics. All items have been categorized as general cultural relics banned from being exported from China.
Officials from the customs agency issued a reminder that, in accordance with China’s Cultural Relics Protection Law, any cultural artifact intended for export must first be examined and approved by the relevant government bodies and must be accompanied by an official exit permit. Individuals who fail to declare such items or attempt to smuggle them out of the country may face administrative punishment or even criminal charges, depending on the seriousness of the offense.
