In Pics:Smuggling attempt of Pharaonic papyri to Libya foiled

CAIRO – 3 June 2018:The Libyan authorities arrested on Saturday a Libyan citizen while attempting to smuggle 15 Pharaonic papyri into Libyan territory, Libyan source told Egypt today.

The sources added that the Libyan authorities questioned the Libyan citizen for hours, explaining that the Libyan security authorities are searching for a number of Libyan partners who have escaped.

Many Egyptian antiquities were smuggled in the aftermath of Egypt's 2011 revolution amid the security vacuum, while others were stolen during the unrest in 2013. Egypt managed to retrieve over 500 artifacts from abroad in 2016.

Parliament's Media, Culture and Antiquities Committee prepared a report earlier in 2018 on an amendment to the antiquities protection law proposed by the government to toughen punishment for smuggling antiquities up to a life sentence and a fine up to LE 10 million (about $0.56 million).