Beijing Customs Combats Antique Smuggling

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 ◆ Beijing Customs Combats Antique Smuggling

The Beijing Customs has enhanced efforts to fight antique smuggling in recent years, and in 2001 alone, its checkpoints at the Capital Airport seized 83 such cases.

The checkpoints confiscated 884 pieces of ancient coins in total,taking up over 60 percent of the smuggled antiques last year, Wednesday's Beijing Daily reported.

Most of the coins were found to be in full sets and bought from antique markets either for private collection or to be presented as gifts, according to the Beijing Daily report.

Among the seized goods were also 20 pieces of ancient paintings and calligraphic works at a total value of 190,000 yuan (22,892 U.S. dollars), and six pieces of antique chinaware worth some 220,000 yuan (26,506 U.S. dollars), the report said.

The Beijing Customs will enhance coordination with relic protection authorities to improve management of cultural relics and prevent their smuggling, Beijing Daily quoted a source from the customs.(xinhua)