FBI repatriates 48 ancient Egyptian artifacts to Egypt

The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office has repatriated 48 ancient Egyptian artifacts to Egypt following an investigation into illegal trafficking. The items, which include amulets, tomb equipment, and carved figures from the Pharaonic, Roman, and Coptic periods, were returned during a ceremony attended by Egyptian Consul General Dr. Hossam Eldeen Aly.

The investigation, conducted with assistance from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, identified a deceased suspected trafficker. The artifacts were recovered after the individual most recently in possession of the objects contacted the FBI upon discovering their questionable origins. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed there were no legal records for the removal of these items from the country.

Officials from the U.S. Department of State and the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Cairo affirmed the necessity of the return. The recovered objects are expected to be displayed in Egyptian museums for public viewing and research.