Tourism and antiquities police in Upper Egypt have seized 17 artifacts while on a mission targeting illegal excavators in Luxor and Aswan.
A security source said police had received a tip that illegal excavators were searching for ancient relics in Luxor and Aswan.
Two such attempts were foiled in Esna, south of Luxor and a third attempt was foiled in Aswan.
The same source said the relics belonged to the Roman era.
The relics include pots, parts of a painting, a censer and pieces of stoneware. Excavators had dug a 10-meter deep hole in the ground to retrieve them.
The relics were confiscated and the suspects referred for investigations.
Translated from DPA
