Customs agents in Shenzhen turned over 15,327 cultural relics to Guangdong province's culture department on Wednesday. It was the third time that Shenzhen Customs has handed over a large haul of smuggled relics to the department since 2001.

The current batch consisted of 1,171 pieces of pottery, 41 pieces of jade, 195 iron and steel articles, 1,937 articles of bamboo and ivory, 212 paintings and works of calligraphy, 176 books, 175 stamps, 203 old banknotes, 10,950 ancient metal coins, and 267 modern folk relics. Among the pieces were ancient fossils, pottery jars from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and blue glazed bowls from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

According to Customs agents, there is a booming market for replications of relics and antique handicrafts. It is often difficult to distinguish between these replicas and the genuine articles, so smugglers declare the relics as handicrafts and try to take them abroad. Agents found relics hidden in luggage, shipments for export, and even in express mail.

The Customs department said it cooperates closely with culture officials. In 2001, it signed a cooperation agreement with the provincial cultural department. In 2008, it signed an agreement with the Guangdong relics identification station, which provides both online and onsite identification, as well as training for Customs officers.

Travelers who wish to take ancient goods abroad are required to go to the relic identification department first and get a certificate of appraisal, as well as an export license. Relics which are brought through Customs without declaration will be confiscated; in serious cases, the offender will be prosecuted.