Jaipur: Rajasthan police today (Feb 27, 2004) claimed to have recovered antique idols worth Rs 100 crores in international market from a gang of inter-State thieves and smugglers.

As many as 75 idols lifted from temples and ancient sites in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were recovered from Karoli district on the basis of interrogation of the gang members arrested earlier, Superintendent of Police Anand Srivastava said.

According to officials of Archaeological Survey of India who inspected them, the idols belonged to between 5th and 11th century, Srivastava said.

A total of 27 persons allegedly involved in lifting and smuggling of the idols have been arrested in June last year when the kingpin of the V N Ghiya, a handicrafts dealer was nabbed by police.

Police has so far recovered more than 300 antique idols during the last eight months under "Operation Black whole" launched to check smuggling of antique goods.