TEHRAN – Iranian police have recently arrested four illegal excavators and antique smugglers in the central province of Qom, CHTN reported on Wednesday.

The accused people were traced and finally arrested in the historical region of Pir Qeisar, near Dizijan village, said Faramarz Bazgir, a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage.

A metal detector and some excavation tools have been seized from the culprits who were surrendered to the judicial system for further investigation, the official added.

The country’s second-holiest city after Mashhad, Qom is home to both the magnificent shrine of Hazrat-e Masumeh (SA) and the major religious madrasas (schools).

Apart from sightseers and pilgrims who visit Qom to pay homage at the holy shrine, the city is also a top destination for Shiite scholars and students who come from across the world to learn Islamic studies at its madrasas and browse through eminent religious bookshops.

The city’s antiquity goes back to the Sassanid era (224 CE–651) and several historical mosques, mansions, and natural sceneries have been scattered across the city as well as towns and villages nearby.

ABU/MG