Police suspect that an ancient Egyptian artefact dating back thousands of years was stolen from a museum and later melted down for a mere £3,000.
The missing bracelet, believed to have adorned Pharaoh Amenemope, disappeared during restoration work at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, according to authorities. The artifact, thought to originate from approximately 1,000 BC, was reportedly stolen and subsequently melted for its materials, as stated by Egypt’s interior ministry.
Authorities reported that a restoration expert removed the bracelet from a secure location and then sold it to an acquaintance who was a jeweller. Allegedly, the woman sold the priceless item to a goldsmith for £2,750, the ministry disclosed.
Subsequently, the jeweller sold the ancient bracelet, which was over 3,000 years old, to a gold foundry worker for £2,900. Shockingly, officials revealed that the bracelet was melted down along with other pieces for making new jewelry.
Authorities circulated images of the stolen bracelet at airports, ports, and border checkpoints across the nation in an attempt to apprehend the thieves before the artifact could be smuggled out of Egypt.
Following the arrests of four individuals who allegedly confessed to the crime, the government seized the proceeds from the sale, as per Egypt’s interior ministry.
Egypt’s tourism and antiquities ministry announced on Tuesday that the disappearance of the bracelet had been reported promptly, and law enforcement had been notified without delay.
Local reports indicated that the museum discovered the missing item during preparations to send numerous artifacts to Rome for an exhibition. The ministry stated that legal measures would be pursued against the detained individuals.
The stolen bracelet, a gold band adorned with lapis lazuli beads, a highly prized deep blue gem in ancient Egypt, was cherished by Pharaoh Amenemope, who reigned from 993 to 984 BC. His tomb was unearthed by French archaeologists in 1940.
The Egyptian Museum, which houses more than 170,000 artifacts, holds the distinction of being the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East.
In a separate incident in 2013, a priceless 3,000-year-old statue of Tutankhamun’s sister was stolen from an Egyptian museum. The limestone carving, known as Daughter of the Pharaoh Akhenaten, created in the 14th century BC, was part of a loot of 1,000 items taken from the Mallawi museum.
The remarkable statue, a prized exhibit of the museum, was scheduled for transfer to a new museum dedicated to Akhenaten’s family, including Tutankhamun’s father.
Archaeologist Monica Hanna suggested that the thieves were knowledgeable about their target. The robbers left behind 46 items that were too