Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Customs officers foiled an attempt to smuggle antique coins through Karshi Airport in Kashkadarya region, the regional customs department reported.

A passenger, identified as H.K., was en route on flight HY-9623 to Moscow when he was caught attempting to transport 116 metal coins of historical and cultural value, each over 50 years old. The coins were discovered during an X-ray inspection of his carry-on luggage and a subsequent personal search conducted in the presence of witnesses. The items were not declared in the passenger's customs documentation.

The seized coins have been transferred to the Kashkadarya Regional Museum of History and Culture. According to Uzbekistan's Agency for Cultural Heritage, some of the coins date back to the era of the Bukhara Emirate. 

An administrative case has been initiated against the individual, and the materials have been submitted to the court.

Since the beginning of the year, customs officers at Karshi Airport have intercepted 10 attempts to illegally export culturally significant artifacts. The total value of the confiscated items exceeds 10 million soums, with a total of 168 artifacts seized.