مصر: سرقة أسوارة توت عنخ آمون تكشف شبكة تهريب أثرية

In an exciting development, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of three individuals involved in the theft of a rare gold bracelet from the restoration laboratory at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, following a report received by the ministry on September 13 from the museum administration.

How did the theft occur?

Investigations revealed that one of the restoration specialists exploited her presence in the laboratory on September 9, managing to steal the bracelet using a deceptive method. She then sold it to a silver trader in the Sayeda Zainab area, who later resold it to a gold workshop, where it was melted down and transformed into other jewelry.

Police actions

After legal procedures were put in place, the security forces successfully apprehended the three suspects, who confessed to the incident. The amounts of money obtained from the sales were also seized. The case has been referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal investigations.

Transfer of the museum

In a related context, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the closure of the Hall of King Tutankhamun at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir starting October 20, in preparation for the transfer of the artifacts to the Grand Egyptian Museum. The hall is scheduled to officially reopen in early November, with visitor reception starting on November 4, coinciding with the anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.

Archaeological security

The incident raised questions about security measures within Egyptian museums and emphasized the importance of enhancing guarding and surveillance systems at heritage sites to ensure the protection of rare artifacts from theft and smuggling attempts.