Peruvian archaeological artifacts that were illegally destined for the United States were seized this week in the Los Olivos district of Lima, LaRepública reports. A unit of Peru’s ministry of culture detected them at Serpost, the country’s postal service.
The group of artifacts was being sent illegally under the guise of “artisan crafts.” The ministry of culture announced in a press release that the pieces were detected by one of its verification units at a postal facility in Los Olivos.
The pieces were inside a cardboard box that was labeled as containing artisan crafts and replicas of ceramic pieces with authorization for export. But officials discovered that pieces inside were authentic. Some had been painted over to conceal their original designs.
Since its start in December 2008, the ministry of culture’s Serpost unit has verified 4,800 objects and seized 1,780 goods and artifacts belonging to the cultural patrimony of the nation.
Source: Living in Peru [February 16, 2011]