Hamburg court convicts siblings in Egyptian antiquities laundering case

A regional court in Hamburg, Germany, has convicted two siblings of money laundering related to the illegal sale of ancient Egyptian artefacts. The court ordered the confiscation of €32 million ($37 million) and imposed fines exceeding €90,000.

The case is linked to an investigation into Serop Simonian, an art dealer allegedly leading an Egyptian antiquities trafficking network. The illicit items, which originated from illegal excavations in Egypt, were sold to museums in the United Arab Emirates using forged export permits.

Key artefacts involved in the trafficking scheme included a bust of Cleopatra, a stone slab associated with King Tutankhamun, and items from the burial complex of Princess Henuttawy, including several nested sarcophagi. Prosecutors alleged the defendants conspired to acquire these cultural treasures and conceal their origins to facilitate high-value sales, including one transaction for a Cleopatra bust valued at €35 million.