The Public Prosecutor ordered the detention of 3 suspects for 4 days pending investigations. Accusing them of trying to steal a pharaonic statue in the southern area of the Aswan quarry, the committee formed by the Aswan Antiquities Authority proved its antiquity and attributed it to King Ramses II, weighing about ten tons , and that the site where it was excavated is subject to the Antiquities Protection Act, and the Public Prosecutor has ordered the prompt investigation of others who participated with the imprisoned defendants in the crime.
On January 8, the Public Prosecutor’s Office received a notification from the police that three people were seized in possession of manual digging tools and heavy equipment – a crane – when they attempted to lift a statue of King Ramses II and were digging antiquities of the area. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has started the investigation.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office inspected the site, which was found to be unfenced, with an area of thirty-four hectares delimited by industrial areas and a museum (symposium), and it was ascertained that there are some Roman baths, and the presence interior of the area of the seized statue of King Ramses II, about three meters long and one meter wide, around which traces of the excavation process are visible.
The Public Prosecutor questioned the defendants on what accused them of carrying out excavation work with the intention of obtaining an antiquity, attempting to steal an ancient statue and possessing tools used to assault people without legal justification or justification of professional necessity or professional, and examined their mobile phones, and it was found that they contained several video clips transmitted through social networking applications, statues suspected of being archaeological and other clips of excavation work.
