BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Four Charged by U.S. for Smuggling Egyptian Antiquities

Bible and archaeology news

Authorities in the United States have announced the break-up of an international antiquities smuggling operation that involved at least three dealers and one collector. They are being charged with conspiring to smuggle antiquities out of Egypt as well as money laundering. So far, three of the four have been arrested; authorities hope that the arrest of the fourth person—a Jordanian antiquities dealer who operates out of Dubai—will provide information as to exactly how the artifacts were smuggled out of Egypt.

The federal agent that led the investigation said that the total market value of the seized antiquities was $2.5 million. The items included a Greco-Roman sarcophagus, a nesting set of three sarcophagi that date to around 664-552 B.C, limestone figurines and more than one thousand ancient coins.