[CPProt.net] Australia returns stolen artefacts to Egypt

[MSN CPPnet (Ton Cremers)]

Australia returns stolen artefacts to Egypt
Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:48 PM BST
    
 
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Ancient artefacts smuggled out of Egypt as part of a
major antiquities scam were returned to Egyptian authorities on Tuesday
after being discovered for sale on an Australian Internet auction site.

The seven funeral objects, dated to about 664 BC, included a small statue,
amulets, an axe head and a bowl, and were part of a collection of 50,000
artefacts illegally taken out of Egypt two years ago.

Egypt's ambassador to Australia Mohamed Tawfik said the objects would be
used as evidence in the trial of 10 people who were currently facing
smuggling charges in Egypt.

The objects were found in the southern Australian city of Melbourne after
being located for sale on an internet site by Egyptian authorities.

Tawfik said 619 of the missing objects had so far been returned to Egypt.

Australian cultural heritage laws protect indigenous artefacts, fossils,
archaeological artefacts, historic documents and objects and guarantees the
return of illegally exported foreign objects.