Four people were arrested in connection to the theft of a 3,000-year-old bracelet that belonged to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, according to .
announced the bracelet went missing from a restoration laboratory at the in downtown Cairo.
The Ministry has referred the incident to the relevant authorities & Public Prosecution & formed a special committee to inventory all items in the lab,” the agency said Wednesday in .
The bracelet’s image has been circulated across antiquities units at Egypt’s airports & borders,” according to the post. “The Ministry confirms that the photos circulating on social media is not the bracelet in question. The announcement of the case was delayed to ensure the proper environment for the investigations.”
In a separate statement online, the ministry also said the bracelet has “a spherical lapis lazuli bead” and was associated with King Amenemeuti, who ruled during the Third Intermediate Period.
Authorities in Egypt later said the bracelet was taken by a museum worker, who sold it to a jeweler for $3,735, who then sold it to a gold foundry employee for $4,025, reported. The media outlet said a goldsmith later melted it down with other jewellery and reshaped.
Citing the Ministry, the said all four confessed and the money was seized
“The necessary legal procedures will be taken, the incident will be referred to the various police authorities and the Public Prosecution, and all relevant parties will be notified to take action,” the Ministry said online in .
“A specialized committee was also formed to inventory and review all the artifacts in the restoration laboratory,” according to the Ministry.