Sale of pharaonic statuette foiled

Al Masry Al Youm (Hassan Ahmed Hussine)

Egypt's security authorities foiled the attempted sale of a statuette that investigators said carries pharaonic inscriptions.

The piece is 50cm tall and stands on a 50cm wide platform. In front of it there are three other stautettes, each 21cm high.

The two culprits, aged 39 and 36, were arrested after citizens informed security authorities of their possession and the intended sale. Both are unemployed.

One said during initial questioning that he had agreed with his partner to hide the object in his house until the deal went through. He said they had obtained the statuette through a middleman from Luxor.