Gang Detained for Illegal Antiquities Excavation Inside Residential Building in Fayoum

The Public Prosecution in Fayoum Governorate decided to detain five individuals for four days pending investigations, on charges of carrying out illegal excavation and prospecting for antiquities inside an old residential property located in a village in Itsa District. The activity threatened the safety of neighboring houses and caused anxiety among residents of the area.

The arrest followed reports from neighbors regarding continuous and suspicious digging sounds emanating from inside an abandoned house at night. A force from the district's investigation unit moved to the scene, catching the suspects red-handed in possession of digging tools and soil-lifting equipment, with a hole reaching seven meters in depth.

During investigations, the defendants confessed to conspiring to excavate after being deluded by a sorcerer into believing an ancient tomb existed beneath the property. The Public Prosecution commissioned a specialized committee from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to inspect the site and determine its nature, ordered the seizure of the equipment, and tasked security agencies with completing the remaining investigations into the incident.