Egypt recovers 24 smuggled artefacts from Germany

[DJKeefy]

Twenty-four ancient Egyptian artefacts are due to come home on Friday after years in the hands of a private collector in Germany.

The collection includes of small fragments of clay statues, coloured beads and sections of engraved stone.

Minister of Antiquities and Heritage Mamdouh El-Damati told Ahram Online that these objects are from different ancient Egyptian eras and were stolen and smuggled out of the country.

He explained that the objects were offered three months ago to the Museum of Leipzig University in Germany. But, when its owner failed to provide the museum’s board with the required documents that approve his possession, the museum’s board decided to return the objects to Egypt in concern that they had been taken out of the country illegally.

Ali Ahmed, director of the ministry’s antiquities recovery department, said that after initial study, ministry experts had concluded that the objects were probably stolen from the Malkata area west of Luxor.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/104823.aspx