Officials at the Ministry of Information and Culture have stated that over the past two years, the ministry has prevented the smuggling of more than 1,400 antiquities out of the country.

Most of these antiquities were recovered from the provinces of Kabul, Nangarhar, Baghlan, and Jowzjan.

Khobaib Ghuffran, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, told TOLOnews: “Since the establishment of the Islamic Emirate, the Ministry of Information and Culture has been able to prevent the smuggling of 1,460 antiquities in collaboration with security and intelligence agencies, and just in the year 1402, we prevented the smuggling of 1,182 antiquities.”

According to officials at the Ministry of Information and Culture, the most commonly smuggled items include valuable coins, artifacts from the Kushan period, and Islamic artifacts, particularly from the Stone Age.

The spokesperson added: “The artifacts that are most targeted for smuggling are historical coins, meaning they are small items that can be transported easily. These include artifacts from the Kushan era, the Islamic periods, and even the ancient Stone Age.”

However, some cultural experts and archaeologists say that these ancient artifacts are part of the national heritage of the country, and the government should make greater efforts than ever to protect them.

Gul Rahman, a cultural affairs expert, told TOLOnews: “Antiquities are indicative of Afghanistan's history. Afghanistan has a valuable history of five thousand years, and preserving and maintaining it is essential.”

Previously, the Deputy Minister of Publications at the Ministry of Information and Culture, during a ceremony commemorating International Day for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, mentioned that the leader of the Islamic Emirate had ordered measures to prevent the trafficking and sale of ancient and cultural artifacts in the country.