Suspects caught attempting to sell arms, fake artefact

AMMAN — Police on Tuesday announced the arrest of a group of men in Ruseifa who were attempting to sell a fake artefact and some weapons, according to official sources.

Police received a tip that the suspects were in the process of selling an “ancient piece resembling a horse for JD20,000 and some weapons in Hitteen Refugee Camp in Ruseifa”, a Public Security Department (PSD) statement said.

Police monitored the group, raided their home and arrested them without any major incident, the statement added.

Police found what they believed was an ancient artefact, a handgun and three pump-action shotguns, according to the statement.

An official from the Department of Antiquities (DoA) said the artefact was sent to Zarqa Department of Antiquities for authentication.

“Our experts examined the horse and determined that it was fake,” the DoA official told The Jordan Times.

The suspects were referred to the criminal prosecutor for further questioning and indictment, according to the PSD statement.

DoA Director General Monther Jamhawi told The Jordan Times that his department often examines pieces that are brought to them by the police and “many of them are fake.”

Other DoA officials have previously said that some individuals have become professionals in this field, using chemicals to make items look old or burying pottery and other objects to give them the appearance of valuable antiques.

Several art collectors or individuals seeking to make quick financial gains fall victim to this kind of fraud because “they cannot differentiate between real and fake artefacts as only archaeological experts can tell the difference,” according to DoA officials.“We urge people to refrain from buying such objects because most of them are fake or illegal to buy,” Jamhawi said.