2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

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2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Glyphdoctor »

A British couple, Michael Richard Newey 65 years old and his wife Angela 62 years old were caught trying to smuggle antiquities via Luxor Airport. The two of them had lived between Luxor and Hurghada for 9 years.

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/681491


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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Mad Dilys »

I wonder if this is the couple who allegedly had been living in Egypt and decided to return to their country of origin. Among their belongings was a very old family Bible complete with family tree. The authorities at the airport allegedly decided that this Bible was an antique and should not leave the country .................................. allegedly! :?
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Glyphdoctor »

That is possible, but the wife allegedly tried to smash up some of the other objects when they caught them. Perhaps trying to destroy the evidence?
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Who2 »

What riles me is our very own Dr Dr shoving up a site in Arabic, is it that difficult or even demeaning to post it ? In the English language spoken by 85% of the bloody World.?
PS: 'How goes the revolution Che ?...........:cool:
PSS: Anyhow...it's not smuggling, it's antiques relocation, so there!
PSSS: without us, our experience, our knowledge, our contacts and our expertise there would be no such thing as an antiques market, So go suck............
Last edited by Who2 on Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:43 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by HEPZIBAH »

Glyphdoctor wrote:That is possible, but the wife allegedly tried to smash up some of the other objects when they caught them. Perhaps trying to destroy the evidence?
Or perhaps trying to show her displeasure at getting found out for buying cheap Chinese imported tourist tat! :lol:

Sorry, I jest - all the recent talk of Chinese products has got to me.


On a less flippant note - The couple are obviously in a very serious situation at the moment and whatever the truth behind the situation is, we don't know it. Many of us are from countries which believe a person is 'Innocent until proven guilty' but unfortunately reporting nowadays makes that very difficult, partly because of the speed and manner in which things are reported.
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Who2 »

What is Smuggling ?
It is just relocating an object from one location to another.
'herein lies the 'rub it's called profit....or even desire...
In my youth I became an antiques re locator, "of some note 'I'll have you know,
Smuggling is basically down to one thing: "Provenance!
• the beginning of something's existence; something's origin : they try to understand the whole universe, its provenance and fate.
See note at origin .
• a record of ownership of a work of art or an antique, used as a guide to authenticity or quality : the manuscript has a distinguished provenance.
That's the fun, writing the story of it's reality.......:cool:
if i lost you i don't apologize..
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Kevininabydos »

The original article:

أحبطت الأجهزة الأمنية بمطار الأقصر الدولي، الأحد، تهريب 12 قطعة أثرية إلى خارج البلاد، كانت بحوزة سائح بريطاني وزوجته.

كانت الأجهزة الأمنية بالمطار قد اشتبهت أثناء إنهاء إجراءات فحص الطرود داخل قرية البضائع بالمطار الخاصة بالمدعو مايكل ريتشارد نيوى (65 عاما)، بريطاني الجنسية، وزوجته أنجيلا نيوى (62 عاما) تحمل نفس الجنسية، مقيمان ما بين مدينتى الأقصر والغردقة، منذ أكثر من 9 أعوام، في محتوى تلك الطرود، وبتمريرها على جهاز الـ«إكس راى» تبين احتواء أحد الطرود على أجسام صلبة.

وقال العميد حسنى حسين، مفتش مباحث السياحة والآثار بجنوب الصعيد، إن أجهزة الأمن عثرت داخل أحد تلك الطرود، عقب تقنين الإجراءات الأمنية اللازمة لفتحها، على 12 قطعة أثرية متنوعة ما بين 6 تماثيل يتراوح طولها ما بين 7 و10 سم، و3 قطع «مسرجات الفخار»، وإناء من الفخار طوله 9 سم، وقطعة أثرية معدنية من البرونز، بالإضافة إلى مجلد للكتاب المقدس باللغة الإنجليزية يرجع إلى عام 1700 ميلادية.

وتم انتداب لجنة أثرية من داخل المطار لمعاينة المضبوطات للتأكد من كونها أثرية من عدمه، وبالفحص تم التأكد من قيمة القطع المضبوطة واحتجاز السائحين، وبمواجهتهما قالا إنهما مقيمان بمصر منذ 9 سنوات ما بين الأقصر والغردقة، وإنهما قاما بشراء تلك القطع من بازارات الأقصر طوال الفترة الماضية، على أنها قطع غير أثرية، وأنهما قاما بتوكيل صديقهما، مينا صفوت صالح (28 عاما)، مقيم بالأقصر، لإنهاء إجراءات شحن أمتعتهما إلى المطار لمغادرة الأقصر بصورة نهائية، كما أقرت الزوجة بأن الكتاب المقدس الأثري هو موروث عائلي من أجدادها منذ عام 1700 ومدون عليه ما يثبت ملكية عائلتها له.

تم تحرير محضر بالواقعة، وأحيل إلى نيابة بندر الأقصر، التى تولت التحقيقات في الواقعة، وأمرت بتشكيل لجنة جديدة من وزارة الدولة لشؤون الآثار للتأكد من قيمة القطع المضبوطة.

A Google translation of the piece [sorry, I can't be bothered to correct the mistakes!]:

The security services had foiled Luxor International Airport, Sunday, antique smuggling 12 pieces out of the country, were in possession of a British tourist and his wife.

The security services at the airport may suspect during check-examination of consignments within the village of goods at the airport for Invitee Michael Richard Niue (65 years), a British national, and his wife Angela Niue (62 years) of the same nationality, residing between the cities of Luxor and Hurghada, since more than 9 years, in the content of these packages, and passing it on a the «X-Ray» found a parcel containing the solids.

Brigadier-General Hosni Hussein, Inspector of Detectives of Tourism and Antiquities of the southern front, the security services found inside one of those parcels, following the legalization of the security measures necessary to open it, the 12 artifact varied between 6 statues ranging in length between 7 and 10 cm, and 3 pieces «Emsrjat Pottery », and a pot of 9 cm tall pottery, and metal artifacts of bronze, in addition to a folder of the Bible in English in 1700 due to the AD.

Was assigned to the archaeological inside the airport to inspect the seized items to ensure that they are antique or not, and the examination was to make sure of the value of items seized and detained tourists, Bmusbandthma said they were residing in Egypt since the 9 years between Luxor and Hurghada, and that they had to buy those pieces of Bazaars Luxor during the last period , as the cut is ancient, and that they had power of attorney their friend, Mina Safwat Al-Saleh (28 years), resident in Luxor, to check shipping their luggage to the airport to leave Luxor in its final form, as recognized by the wife that the Bible Archaeological inherited a family of her ancestors since 1700 and a blogger upon proof of ownership of his family.

Has been edited report on the incident, and referred to on behalf of Bandar Luxor, which took over the investigation into the incident, and ordered the formation of a new commission from the Ministry of State for the effects to make sure of the value of the seized items.


(The photograph that accompanies this article shows a piece that was stolen from the Museum during the "robbery" of Jan 28th last year and is a "stock" photograph from the article relating to that story and not one of the pieces seized at the airport)

source:http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/681491
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Who2 »

Well there You have it, It could not be clearer, or could it ? They are 'bang-to-rights, lock em up, hang em, smugglers ?
a right rubbish defense, I would have plead insanity of the grounds of living in egypt, lambs to the slaughter...:cool:
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by HEPZIBAH »

'The security services had foiled Luxor International Airport, Sunday, antique smuggling 12 pieces out of the country, were in possession of a British tourist and his wife.'

Bad reporting or poor translation or my lack of understanding?

I read yesterday evening that this couple had been detained at Luxor airport and taken from there to the court!
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by HEPZIBAH »

According to a post on Facebook, by the women who first brought this couples situation to light and has been trying to maintain contact and help for them, the couple have been released and the goods proven as being bought in the bazaar.
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Who2 »

It takes a serious amount of lube-tube to shove a amenhohtep statue up yer bum, but hey! 1O out of 1O trying eh?
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Winged Isis »

Yet another sensational post rushed here "hot off the presses", just to be reversed shortly after. This has happened too often lately, post-revolution. Surely it is obvious by now it pays to wait a day for the facts to appear. Not the first time, and I fear not the last, that I've made this observation. I wonder if it would have appeared at all, if the "perps" were not English?
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by A-Four »

How about reading about the real thing on,..........On this day.
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Glyphdoctor »

Several other stories appeared in the press yesterday concerning Egyptians and stolen artifacts, one case from Luxor another from Minya.

If you reread the title of this thread you will notice the word "allegedly" in it because from the various pictures I saw I was not certain either whether this was a case of mistaken antiquity identity. The fact of the matter is, this story is actually more important for members of L4U if they turn out to be fakes because it means any innocent person could get stopped at the airport taking home souvenirs and I am sure more members are taking home fakes than real artifacts so it is relevant either way.

They were released from custody, but banned from leaving the country until the investigation is complete. They claimed to have bought them in the bazaar thinking they were fake, but it has not yet been proven, and also everything that MD said is true.

http://www.masrawy.com/News/Egypt/Polit ... 31836.aspx
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by HEPZIBAH »

I see that LuxorTimes is quick to turn their own story round.


Monday, 27 February 2012
We demand an official apology

Yesterday the news were spreading around about the so-called “smuggling attempt at Luxor Airport” and even some media sources made up stories about a private jet and a mummy was stolen too. Luxor Times had published the officials’ statements about the incident but the story has another side. Luxor Times editor had the opportunity to meet in person with the so-called “smugglers” who were RELEASED immediately by the pre-judge at Luxor court because the objects they had were NOT antiquities and not even close and what the antiquity specialist at the airport said it was a Roman coin, it was in fact a Romanian coin.
The full story and details will be published soon in the printed version of Luxor Times but from now until then, we hope that the British respectful couple get an official apology from whoever is responsible for this drama otherwise don’t expect any tourists to buy a souvenir from the local market for 5 pounds as it may fool someone who should have studied for many years to be a professional and think it is genuine.


http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.com/ ... 4.facebook
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by timetraveller »

I have just been speaking to someone who knows this couple. Apparently the 'antique' bible was not a 16th century artifact at all but a family bible complete with family tree which is the property of the wife and was brought to Egypt from England with them when they settled here about nine years ago. The other objects, presumed to be antiquities were apparently modern replicas bought from the Souk. This unfortunate couple, apart from the indignity and embarrassment of being falsely and publicly accused, were apparently also kept in a prison cell for a day and night and denied food.

I am given to understand that a full apology has now been issued and the couple have flown home. What a colossal cock-up! Hardly inspires confidence does it?
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by A-Four »

timetraveller wrote: publicly accused, were apparently also kept in a prison cell for a day and night and denied food.
..............and did you honestly think that they would be given food, while they were held in prison, I think they should think themselves lucky they got a bed,..........and I am NOT joking here.
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by DIANA »

It makes you wonder just how safe is the innocent tourist, having brought replicas of that nature in Egypt and then packed them for the journey home.
I am surprised that nobody at the airport realised that these objects were cheap tourist items. How did things go so far as to these people having to spend the night in jail?
If this doesn't put people off buying souveniers then nothing will.
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by BENNU »

Twice have I been stopped before boarding at Cairo International Airport because of my antique, non Egyptian necklaces. I did get a little nervous, but nothing happened except, last time I unpacked, I found my Swiss knife in my handbag and two cans of soda, I had forgotten all about, but noone noticed because of the beads.

Once I left Cairo with two women, who had to empty their luggage completely because of sheets of papyrus with gold print! It made me worry because I had freshly baked, crisp ushabtis from Abydos “hidden” among my things just for protection They are far better copies than the souvenirs on the photo in Luxor Times.

I feel very sorry for the couple as if they did not have enough to deal with, moving back after nine years. What a last impression of Egypt. If they had wanted to smuggle, they would hardly have brought all nineteen pieces at the same time.
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Re: 2 British Expats Caught Allegedly Smuggling Antiquities

Post by Glyphdoctor »

FYI: Anything over 100 years old is considered an antiquity under Egyptian law. Be careful when traveling with anything that could be taken to be such.
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