The Cairo Criminal Court has issued a firm verdict sentencing two unemployed defendants to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting them of illegally excavating antiquities inside a property within the jurisdiction of the Al-Maasara Police Department. The case reflects the seriousness of targeting Egypt’s cultural heritage and attempting to profit from it illegally.
The details of the case date back to intelligence information received by the security services of the Cairo Security Directorate, indicating that two individuals were excavating antiquities in a residential area within the department’s jurisdiction. A specialized investigation team of detectives was immediately formed, and their inquiries confirmed the information's accuracy. The investigation also revealed that the defendants were known to the security services and had previous criminal records in similar cases.
After obtaining the necessary legal permissions from the Public Prosecution, security forces set up ambushes and raided the site. They arrested the defendants red-handed while digging. During the search, they found complete digging tools, ropes, and primitive equipment used for excavation. They also discovered a deep hole inside the property measuring approximately six meters deep and four meters wide, reflecting the determination to complete the search for antiquities to sell them for illicit financial gain.
During interrogations, the defendants confessed in detail to attempting to excavate antiquities without legal authorization, stating that they were seeking to find any artifacts for the purpose of trading them, which poses a significant threat to Egypt’s heritage. Necessary legal procedures were taken against them, and they were referred to the Public Prosecution, which immediately launched an investigation and referred them to trial.
The court issued its verdict of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for the defendants during a session attended by a representative of the Public Prosecution. The court sent a clear message to anyone who dares to tamper with or attempt to steal Egyptian antiquities. In its reasoning, the court stated that such crimes constitute a blatant assault on a priceless national treasure and that the state will not tolerate such acts, given the grave danger they pose to Egypt’s cultural and civilizational identity.
The security services continue their intensive campaigns, in coordination with the Public Prosecution, to pursue anyone who attempts to violate or trade in antiquities, considering them an inseparable part of Egypt’s history and heritage that extends back thousands of years.
