(CNN) It wasn't Hobby Lobby's scrapbook supplies, their seasonal decorations or their generous selection of fabrics that got the attention of the Department of Justice. It was the ancient clay artifacts from modern-day Iraq. According to court documents, Hobby Lobby agreed to forfeit thousands of Iraqi artifacts and pay a $3 million fine to resolve the civil action the Justice Department brought against the company. Ancient cuneiform tablets and clay bullae from modern-day Iraq were smuggled into the United States through the United Arab Emirates and Israel, Justice officials said. With Hobby Lobby's consent they were falsely labeled as "ceramics" and "samples" and illegally shipped to Hobby Lobby stores and two corporate offices, according to the DOJ.

Source: CNN July 06, 2017 00:10 UTC