POLICE in central Hubei Province have detained 32 people and seized 198 cultural relics worth more than 100 million yuan (US$16 million) in a raid on an antique market, local media reported today.
The antiques were mostly ancient bronzes dating from the Zhou Dynasty (1027-256 BC) and the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25). The value of 104 artifacts was put at more than 100 million yuan while others are too precious to estimate, the experts said.
Police began to search the market following a tomb robbery in Suizhou City in August 2011. Eight people were caught in a local hotel along with their digging tools. But the stolen artifacts had already been sold to a dealer from Shandong Province.
During the investigation, police found clues to an underground antique market that led them to catch the market operator and retrieve 198 cultural relics.
As of yesterday, 20 of the 32 suspects have been arrested. Police said they believe about 70 people were involved in the tomb robbery and antique smuggling case.
Hubei Province used to be the territory of many ancient states and has many treasures buried in the ground which attract both tomb robbers and illegal antique dealers, police said. 
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