Achaemenid gold artifacts looted from Pasargadae have been sold for over $1 million in Dubai to international traffickers known as the Shah Brothers, a notorious Afghan smuggling group.
According to Sedaye Mirath, two Afghan traffickers, Davood Shah and Ahmad Shah, who are well-known figures in international antiquities smuggling under the name “Afghan Brothers”, acquired the stolen Achaemenid artifacts at a fraction of their estimated value. Initially priced at $3 million, these treasures were smuggled out of Iran by Iranian dealers, who later sold them in Dubai for $1.1 million, as the Shah Brothers argued that selling such artifacts on the black market was challenging.
The stolen collection included a solid gold pendant of Darius I, complete with a heavy gold chain, two intricately crafted gold armlets, Achaemenid women’s gold jewelry, and a golden diadem, all masterfully created over 2,500 years ago. These artifacts were ultimately purchased by the Shah Brothers’ gallery in Dubai.
Experts in historical artifacts told Sedaye Mirath that the gold items were once possessions of Achaemenid royals and nobles, making them highly valuable in the global antiquities market. Efforts to obtain additional images of the artifacts from sources outside Iran proved unsuccessful, as the Shah Brothers reportedly restricted photography. However, Sedaye Mirath has published two images that were originally sent by smugglers to potential buyers before the artifacts left Iran, hoping to aid in their recovery.
Who Smuggled the Pasargadae Artifacts?
This report is the result of nearly a month of investigation by Sedaye Mirath’s news team, drawing on information from four informed sources across Iran, Dubai, London, and France. These sources had full knowledge of how the Achaemenid gold artifacts looted from Pasargadae were smuggled and sold in Dubai. Some were even present during the negotiations and provided images of some stolen artifacts to aid in tracking them on the international market.
To protect the safety of these sources, Sedaye Mirath has chosen not to disclose their identities, as they could be at risk of threats from international criminal networks involved in antiquities smuggling.
Investigations into the sale of the Pasargadae gold artifacts revealed that four well-known Iranian smugglers—Arsalan, Behzad, Habib, and Hassan—were involved. According to sources, these individuals purchased the artifacts from illegal excavators who secretly entered a protected archaeological site in Pasargadae about seven years ago. Using metal detectors, the looters uncovered a hidden Achaemenid gold treasure in a short period. They later sold the artifacts to the smugglers for 300 million tomans.
The Iranian traffickers then transported the artifacts by sea to Dubai, where they were sold to the Shah Brothers, two international antiquities dealers known for their involvement in the illegal trade of historical artifacts.
How Did Illegal Excavators Gain Access to Pasargadae?
In the autumn of 2017 (Mehr 1396), two illegal excavators, accompanied by a child, managed to breach the protected archaeological site of Pasargadae. They lifted a section of the security fence, slipped past the metal barrier, and immediately activated a metal detector they had brought along.
According to sources from Sedaye Mirath, the looters were incredibly fortunate—as soon as they turned on the device, they pinpointed the location of the buried Achaemenid gold artifacts. Working swiftly, they scooped up the artifacts along with the surrounding soil, stuffed them into bags, and made a quick escape.
One of Sedaye Mirath’s sources in Dubai described the smuggling method used for the golden pendant depicting Darius I. The excavators placed the necklace around the child’s neck, seated him on a donkey, and transported him—along with the bags containing Achaemenid artifacts and soil—to their hideout.
The whereabouts of the illegal excavators remain unknown, and the details of their operation come from firsthand accounts of individuals present during the artifact sale negotiations. However, due to their involvement in tracking the Pasargadae gold transaction, Sedaye Mirath’s sources successfully identified the Iranian smugglers responsible for selling the stolen artifacts and have provided their names to the publication.
Deal with the “Shah Brothers” in Dubai
A French source from Sedaye Mirath who met the Shah Brothers in Dubai for the Pasargadae gold artifacts transaction revealed that four Iranian smugglers—Arsalan, Behzad, Habib, and Hassan—initially asked for $3 million. However, the Shah Brothers countered with $1.1 million, claiming that selling the items would be difficult. The Iranian smugglers agreed, and the gold artifacts were sold to the Afghan brothers in Dubai, known for trafficking Iranian historical items internationally.
Darius I’s Golden Pendant in Europe
A London source involved in the sale of the Pasargadae artifacts revealed that the Shah Brothers sent Hassan, an Iranian smuggler, to wear the golden necklace of Darius I at public events in Europe to attract buyers. Hassan also posed with the necklace alongside Abu To’am, a notorious smuggler. Despite efforts, no buyers emerged due to the high profile of the piece and concerns over legal repercussions.
Additionally, Sedaye Mirath’s sources confirmed that the Shah Brothers tried selling the artifacts to Qatari and Kuwaiti sheikhs, but the Kuwaiti sheikh’s brother declined the offer, stating they were not interested in buying Iranian relics.
According to a Sedaye Mirath source in Dubai, the Pasargadae gold artifacts were transported via boat and ship to Dubai. This source, who had knowledge of the transaction, stated: “The trafficking of historical artifacts from Iran isn’t carried out by just one group. There are many groups involved in smuggling illegally excavated items from Iran and selling them to international buyers in Europe and Gulf Arab buyers in Dubai.”
The source also mentioned that Arsalan, one of the main Iranian smugglers in the Pasargadae artifact deal, played a crucial role in the transfer and sale of the artifacts in Dubai. Arsalan facilitated the process by obtaining permanent residence in Dubai and setting up a company in the UAE, making it easier for him and other illegal excavators to transport and sell Iranian historical treasures.
Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s Lack of Action
A Sedaye Mirath source in France, who oversees the underground Iranian artifact market in Europe and has been involved in repurchasing and sending some artifacts back to Iran, criticized the Ministry of Cultural Heritage for its lack of a strong response to organized artifact trafficking. The source said: “The delay in addressing Iran’s artifact smuggling and the looting of historical sites is deeply concerning. The Ministry is responsible for protecting these sites and taking action against illegal excavators and smugglers, but unfortunately, they’re afraid to even name notorious domestic and international smugglers. When I confronted one of the smugglers, he laughed and mocked me, saying, ‘You can complain all you want, but there’s nothing you can do!'”
He added: “There are numerous parties involved in the smuggling of Iran’s historical artifacts to the Gulf countries and Dubai. The Ministry of Cultural Heritage and those in charge of tackling this trafficking are fully aware of these groups and their activities, and they know who they are, but no meaningful action is taken to hold them accountable. The result of this weak response is that archaeological sites across the country are being destroyed with bulldozers and tractors, enabling access to these artifacts for smuggling.”
The Sedaye Mirath source in France, discussing a recent New York auction where Achaemenid and Sassanian coins smuggled from Iran were sold for high prices, asked: “What did the Ministry of Cultural Heritage do to stop the auction and the sale of these coins? Did they simply engage in a symbolic act, or did they actually take steps to prevent the auction and secure the return of the coins? If they took action, they should provide clear details of the outcome. Otherwise, their statements against artifact smuggling are meaningless. It even seems that regarding this New York auction, they could have contacted the U.S. Treasury Department directly about sanctions and money laundering linked to the sale of smuggled Iranian artifacts and demanded that the CNG auction be halted to return the stolen coins. But did they do that? No, because fighting international artifact trafficking cannot be done with mere rhetoric. The Ministry of Cultural Heritage needs to demonstrate with real actions that it is genuinely committed to confronting this issue.”
