Iraqi artifacts smuggled into Jordan in hands of top Kuwaiti

“A large number of Iraqi artifacts are currently in Kuwait and are known to be in the possession of a famous Kuwaiti businessman,” say sources, adding “the Iraqi Antiquities Department has received information that Uday, son of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, smuggled a large number of ancient relics into Jordan by land and they were later transferred by air to Kuwait, reports Al-Dar daily. Sources say the Iraqi department has documents showing the route of smuggling and has supplied the documents as evidence to international archeological organizations.

Recently, an unidentified Iraqi parliamentarian who visited Kuwait to discuss bilateral and regional issues put the case of stolen Iraqi relics on top of his priorities. Sources say there are as many as 82 big antique pieces in Kuwait and indicated that majority of them were smuggled into Jordan in 2001 by land and were later brought into Kuwait by air at the behest of an unidentified but reportedly famous Kuwaiti businessman