The Tourism and Antiquities Police in Minya arrested a suspect on Saturday in possession of 277 artifacts intended for sale after he acquired them illegally through unauthorized excavations.
Investigations conducted by the tourism and antiquities sectors and the public security services revealed that the suspect, a resident of the Deir-Mawas area, possessed antiquities for the purpose of trafficking, using his residence as a base for his criminal activities.
The house was raided, and the suspect was apprehended with the various antiquities in his possession.
He confessed to security officials that he had obtained the seized artifacts through illegally digging for antiquities in a mountainous area within the Mallawy district of Minya Governorate.
Egyptian security services tirelessly work to combat the illegal possession and trading of antiquities in order to preserve the country’s national heritage.
In some areas, illegal excavations for antiquities are prevalent, with the artifacts being smuggled and sold illegally in violation of laws that restrict excavation to state authorities and prohibit their sale as priceless national heritage.
