Egyptian security forces arrested nine suspects with criminal records from the governorates of Assiut and Sohag, south of Cairo, finding them in possession of 100 archaeological pieces discovered through illegal digging at two homes owned by two of the suspects, with the intent to trade in antiquities. An security source informed "Sky News Arabia" that investigation and intelligence by the General Department of Criminal Investigation in cooperation with the General Security Sector revealed that a worker living in the jurisdiction of Menfleut Police Station in Assiut was digging for antiquities at his home and possessed some archaeological pieces.
The source explained that after legal procedures were established in coordination with the General Security Sector and the Tourism and Antiquities Police Department in Assiut, the suspect was targeted and apprehended along with the tools used for digging. It was discovered that there was a hole at his home with 96 pieces and a coin suspected to be of archaeological significance. Upon questioning, he confessed to digging for antiquities using the seized tools, intending to trade and profit.
When the seized items were presented to the relevant authorities in the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, their archaeological significance was confirmed, dating back to the Pharaonic, Greek, and Roman periods.
Similarly, intelligence and investigations from the General Security Sector, in collaboration with the General Department of Criminal Investigation at the Tourism and Antiquities sector, indicated that a worker with a criminal background residing in the jurisdiction of Akhmim Police Station in Sohag was also digging for antiquities at his home. The source noted that after legal action was initiated, the suspect and seven others were targeted, and a hole of 8 meters deep along with the tools used for digging were found at the suspect's home, yielding four pieces of varying shapes and sizes suspected to be archaeological. Upon confrontation, all admitted to committing the crime and confirmed that the seized pieces were results of their excavations for trade.
The seized items were presented to inspectors from the local antiquities authority, who verified their archaeological significance, and the suspects were referred to the public prosecution for investigation.
