These artifacts included bronze statues, stones boards, arrows heads, ibex statue and several manuscripts, the sources said.

The GPC-run almotamar.net quoted the source as saying during the last year until current month the authorities could recover five thousands of relics after they thwarted 90 attempts to smuggle them through borders.

Many of those who were trying to traffic these artifacts belong to different nations such France, Italy, Canada, Jordan, Iraq and Syria.

The source added that relics smuggling gangs have recently started to follow new methods to realize their goals and there are news that such groups affiliate with foreign oil companies working in the country.

And this raises concerns about the aggravation of smuggling ancient artifacts phenomenon.