CAIRO: Egyptian police have broken up a trafficking ring that was trying to sell stolen and highly valued ancient busts of pharaohs and mythical figures at an undercut rate of two million dollars, a security source said on Sunday.
The five-person ring included a former employee of the Superior Council for Egyptian Antiquities and acquired the busts, valued at 10 million dollars, through illegal excavations, the source said.
The ring was cracked after a policeman posing as an intermediary for an Arab buyer made contact with its members, who were subsequently arrested in a Cairo suburb.
The busts include the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, the falcon-headed god Horus and the goddess Sekhmet, among others.
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Well I'm glad they caught those theives and desecrators!
In a way I do feel sorry for them though. Many of the descendants and heirs of ancient civilizations are now poor people who are desperate to make money for themselves or their families and are even willing to literally sell out their heritage. Posts: 26286 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Of course I am relieved that these criminals got catched before committing immense harm to Egypt's heritage. And at the same time I wonder how much possibly goes on undetected? I am upset that things like that can happen even these days....
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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