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Palestinian police on red alert over antiquities smuggling

Palestinian police say the Israeli-controlled Area C is their weak spot in the battle against antiquities smuggling.
Khader Beydoun, 70 years old , a Palestinian, keeps more than 10,000 pieces of heritage in his small museum in Jerusalem. (Photo by Saeed Qaq/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Despite efforts by the Palestinian police, more and more antiquities in Palestine end up in the hands of the smugglers, the Palestinian police told Al-Monitor.

Hassan al-Jamal, chief of the Antiquity and Tourism Police, told Al-Monitor that antiquities smuggling has increased over the past year and that the Achilles' heel of smuggling is the Israeli-controlled Area C

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