CAIRO, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian police have arrested a man in Upper Egypt for illegally possessing hundreds of archaeological artifacts, the Egyptian Interior Ministry announced on Monday.
Information and investigations by the police in Upper Egypt's Assiut Governorate confirmed that the suspect, who had a criminal record, possessed antiquities with the intention to trade, the ministry said in a statement.
The suspect obtained the artifacts through illegal excavation, the ministry added, noting that 409 artifacts were seized during the arrest operation.
The relics included statues and statue heads, ancient coins, wooden masks, a pottery boat, and amulets, among others.
The suspect confessed that he obtained the pieces through illegal digging and excavation in the Abu Tig area of Assiut.
Home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, Egypt has long faced the issue of illegal trade in antiquities. ■