Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Al-Damaty said in a news conference at the headquarters of the Tourism Police on Sunday that 246 pieces of royal family jewelry were seized before smuggling out of the country.
He explained that a certain bank was planning to sell the pieces in a auction but was stopped and the pieces were returned to the ministry.
Among the jewelry is a 45-carat diamond, the third largest in the world, and another 40-carat diamond placed in platinum and gold.
The royal family was founded by Mohamed Ali Pasha and ruled Egypt from 1805 until 1953 when King Farouk was ousted.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
