Kuwait returns 5 smuggled artifacts to Egypt

By Xinhua Published: Jun 17, 2022 08:56 AM

A smuggled Pharaonic artifact is displayed during the handover in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on June 16, 2022. Kuwait returned on Thursday five smuggled Pharaonic artifacts to Egypt, a Kuwaiti official said.(Photo: Xinhua)

Smuggled Pharaonic artifacts are displayed during the handover in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on June 16, 2022. Kuwait returned on Thursday five smuggled Pharaonic artifacts to Egypt, a Kuwaiti official said.(Photo: Xinhua)

Kuwait returned on Thursday five smuggled Pharaonic artifacts to Egypt, a Kuwaiti official said.

Sultan Al-Duwaish, head of Artifacts and Museums Department in the National Council for Culture Arts and Literature (NCCAL) of Kuwait, handed over the artifacts to the Egyptian ambassador to Kuwait at the Kuwait National Museum.

The five Egyptian artifacts were smuggled from Egypt in 2019 and confiscated by the Customs Department in Kuwait Airport, Al-Duwaish said.

A number of Kuwaiti entities, including the Foreign Ministry, the Customs Department of airport and NCCAL, have cooperated with Egyptian embassy in Kuwait to examine and return these relics in accordance with the international treaties, he noted.

This is the second handover of historical artifacts from Kuwait to Egypt, he said, adding the first artifact was a wooden casket cover.

Egyptian ambassador to Kuwait Osama Shaltout commended the role of Kuwaiti entities and their tireless efforts in returning artifacts to their original place.

"These artifacts will be returned to Egypt and will be subject to further examinations to determine their importance," said the ambassador.

According to the Kuwait News Agency, four of the items confiscated in Kuwait were statues of Egyptian Pharaohs, including Amenhotep III, Amun-Ra and ancient Egyptian god Horus, as well as a stone mural.