Smugglers held over stolen Egyptian mummies

updated 12:20 p.m. ET March 12, 2008

CAIRO, Egypt - Police arrested three antiquities smugglers and confiscated the four mummies they had stolen Wednesday, a security official said.

Wrapped in layers of linen and decorated with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, the mummies were found in the southern province of Minya, 135 miles south of Cairo, the official said speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.

The three smugglers confessed that they carried the mummies in a truck to Fayyoum earlier on the day to sell them to other antiquities brokers, the official said.

The mummies belong to a child and three men, but no further details were available of their identities or age, the official said and added that a delegation of archeologists were summoned to check the mummies.

Along with the mummies, police also confiscated 10 small statues.

Egypt has drastically stepped up efforts in recent years to stop trafficking of its antiquities. It has warned foreign museums that it will not help them mount exhibitions on ancient Egypt unless they return smuggled artifacts.

More from msnbc.com Thanksgiving is about odd family dynamics Swine flu fears for hajj pilgrims First Read: Pardon my turkey, and other trivia   570,000 pager messages from 9/11 released   Silver Lining: Tales of struggle and hope On Twitter: Breaking news updates | Weird and wild

MORE FROM MIDEAST & N. AFRICA

Mideast & N. Africa Section Front

Israel approves 10-month settlement freeze Swine flu fears for hajj pilgrims Rains soak pilgrims at Islam’s hajj Iran’s leader makes inroads in Latin America 6 family members killed in Iraq Mideast & N. Africa Section Front   Add Mideast & N. Africa headlines to your news reader: