TEHRAN - Iranian authorities have recently confiscated 43 historical coins from two smugglers in Behbahan, southwestern Khuzestan province, IRNA reported.

The objects have been estimated to date from the Elymais era (147 BC - 224 CE), said Amir Rahmatollahi, a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage.

The police discovered clues to identify the smugglers following days of thorough inspection and constant efforts under close collaboration with judicial authorities, Rahmatollahi explained.

Elymais was an ancient Parthian vassal state located east of the lower Tigris River and usually considered part of the larger district of Susiana. It incorporated much of the area of the biblical region of Elam, approximately equivalent to the modern region of Khuzestan.

AFM/MQ/MG