BEIRUT, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Two suspects were arrested on Saturday in Lebanon for smuggling antiquities from Syria, the State Security said in a statement.

The first suspect, identified as Hasan A., was arrested in the southern port city of Tyre, while his cousin Radwan A., the second suspect, was caught in Chtaura, a small town near Lebanon's fourth largest city Zahle, the statement said.

The two suspects, who were referred to the Public Prosecutors' office, reportedly brought small old artifacts across the border in a shipment of food.

The seized items have been sent to experts for verification of their authenticity and archaeological value, according to the statement.

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, more and more reports have emerged about the illegal trade in cultural relics looted from the country's rich historical sites, which have been devastated by waves of fighting.

According to the Lebanese Directorate General of Antiquities, security forces seized more than 300 such objects between 2012 and 2014.