Tehran, Sep 29 (IANS): Iran's intelligence ministry has thwarted a plot by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to steal artistic, historical and cultural documents from the country's archive centres, the ministry has said.

The plot by the BBC Persian TV service was foiled by the Iranian intelligence agents following vigilant monitoring, the intelligence ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The London-based media outlet had used its "affiliated elements" inside Iran to steal the historical documents from the country's official archive centres, Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.

The move by the TV channel is a violation of international law and media conventions, the ministry said.

The BBC Persian TV channel provides services eight hours a day, seven days a week, in Farsi language in Iran and Afghanistan from London.

Iran's intelligence ministry has warned Iranians not to work with the BBC, saying that those who are thinking about cooperation with the BBC should be careful not to fall into the trap of this anti-Iranian institution.