Farzad Sharifi, the provincial tourism chief, on Saturday, stated the relics had been seized from a three-person smuggling gang following a routine inspection, Mehr reported.

Sharifi added that the discovered artifacts include statues, bowls, beads, rings, bracelets, and earrings.

Explaining further, Sharifi detailed that the arrested suspects are currently in custody, and the legal proceedings against them are underway through judicial authorities.

The artifacts will undergo further analysis and preservation efforts to ensure their historical significance is properly documented and protected, the report said.

The western province is located in the southwest of the country, in Central Zagros, and is bordered by Iraq to the west, Khuzestan province to the south, Lorestan province to the east, and Kermanshah province to the north.

The name Ilam comes from “Elam”, the pre-historical civilization that ruled the area in modern southwest Iran from 2700 BC to 539 BC. Archaeological findings date human settlement of the area to around 5000 BC.