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Arrest of German Lebanese antiques smuggler solves golden sarcophagus mystery

The Arab News reported that a long-running art-world mystery has been solved following the arrest of a German Lebanese antiques smuggler.
During the Egyptian uprising in 2011, tomb raiders dug out the golden sarcophagus of a first century B.C. Egyptian priest.
Studded with jewels and embellished with scenes and hieroglyphic texts — said to guide Nedjemankh, chief priest of the ram-headed Egyptian god Heryshef, through the afterlife — the treasure passed through art dealers in the UAE, Germany, and France before being sold for nearly $4 million to the Met Museum in New York City in 2017.
The arrival of the piece in the US was deemed suspicious by the American law enforcement agency the FBI, which began an investigation with French authorities.
When the artifact was returned for display in Egypt in 2019, two Frenchmen, named only as Christophe K and Richard S, were arrested over its theft.

Now the mystery of the artifact has been solved, as a German Lebanese antiques dealer turned smuggler Roben D has been linked to the illegal sale of the sarcophagus.
Roben D was intercepted at Hamburg airport after an EU arrest warrant was issued.
Liddy Oechtering, of the Hamburg public prosecutor’s office, said Roben D, 42, had been extradited to France this month accused of commercial fraud, receiving stolen goods, and trading in cultural assets.
Mummy of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I digitally unwrapped for the first time
Roben D, thought to be a seasoned art smuggler, is being held in Paris. He is suspected of illegally selling five other historical artifacts, said to be worth approximately $55 million, to the Louvre Abu Dhabi art museum.
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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