Egypt court hands life sentence to antiquities inspector convicted of smuggling 370 artifact

     On 18 January, Cairo criminal court sentenced an antiquities inspector to 25 years due to convictions o theft of 370 ancient artifacts from a landmark museum. The judgment comes as one of the largest antiquities smuggling in Egypt. 

This case dates back to 2015. The defendants including two antiquities inspectors showed weak security measures and poor storage controls inside the museum. Investigations revealed that two of the defendants produced replicas of the original artifacts, placing the fakes in storage rooms to conceal the crime while the original pieces were smuggled abroad in coordination with an unidentified individual. 

The convicted individuals recognized that the artefacts are of a priceless national heritage protected by law.

Is the smuggling ancient?

Yes, it is well documented in historical records that tomb robbers were very common in ancient Egypt of precious metal and funerary goods despite legal prohibitions and strict religious warnings.

Abbott papyrus shows investigation of tomb robbery network including workers, guards and even officials. The trade market was tight especially for gold. incense and exotic animals therefore black market trading occurred at the borders with Nubia and Levant. 

Furthermore, bribery made it easier for the corruption to occur. 

Therefore, the state issued strict laws for smuggling and theft ranging from beaten to mutilation to death. 

If you visit the Pyramids of Giza, Valley of the Kings, Dahshur and Beni Hassan tombs. You'll notice how robbery shaped the custom of tomb building. We highly recommend that you visit Egypt to see this in person. You'll find opened royal seals that hints the tomb was opened after the final closure and you will see tunnels in the pyramids that were related to robbery. Regardless of the efforts of the state to keep the thieves away and protect their treasures, the thieves always found a way to get the business done. Ancient Egyptian thieves are made up differently. 

You can visit various sites in one package by checking our classical packages. Since Easter period is a high period in Egypt, we offer you special rates to make it possible for your family to come with you and explore the ancient Egyptian day-to-day lives. We also recommend that you check our Tripadvisor page to check the feedback of those who traveled with our assistance. Don't miss out our Safari trip!