Arrest warrants were issued in mid-February for a group of fraudsters accused of staging a scheme to steal from antiquities traffickers.
Egypt’s Public Prosecution office issued the warrant for a group of criminals who created a fake Egyptian tomb that managed to fool just about everybody, according to Ancient Origins. Apparently the con was caught when law enforcement tried to question a group of men in a pickup truck on Feb. 15 who were hanging out on a hillside just outside of the historic town of El Hibeh.
The fraudsters apparently built a replica tomb in an area known as Beni Suef, located in El Hibeh. The city’s proximity to the Nile river made it a crucial defense point for ancient Egyptians, and is reportedly rich with items of historical significance from the period.
This made it the perfect location for the fraudsters to set up shop. Police inspected the faux tomb, finding ancient-looking statues within one large hole, roughly 2 meter deep, flanked by three other chambers, also containing statues, Ancient Origins noted. Images of at least one of the rooms shared online shows hieroglyphs and what appears to be some kind of gold plates.
Official authorities uncovered an ancient tomb replica in Beni Suef that was built for fraudulent purposes. The tomb stored a collection of fake gold statues and the criminals managed to had the walls covered with ancient Egyptian drawings in order to trick the visitors. pic.twitter.com/sxzrDsoaGX
— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) February 16, 2023
Archaeologists from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities who examined the site found all inscriptions, statues, and relics within the four spaces to be fake. It’s assumed the criminals behind the stunt fabricated the tomb in order to scam antiquities traffickers.
One Egyptian man shared more images from inside the faux tomb, writing that the criminals spent a whole year building the structure and bought items from China to accessorize the space. He suggested that the items were sold to a group of antiquities dealers “for millions and fled,” but it’s unclear where he got this information from or whether it’s explicitly true. It is funny though! (RELATED: Archaeologists Uncover Gold Leaf-Coated Mummy, Other Incredible Artifacts At Ancient Burial Site In Egypt)
Ancient Origins stated that the men responsible for the hoax were caught red-handed but managed to escape physical capture. A warrant for their arrest has been issued, and the case is ongoing.