A stolen ancient Egyptian statue was found in a German auction house just before it was to go on sale. According to the Egypt's Antiquities Ministry, the ivory statue is 2,300 years old.
The statue was stolen from the Elephantine Island Museum in Aswan amid the chaos of 2013 and was reportedly found at the Aton Gallery of Egyptian Art in Oberhausen, Germany. Other statues and artifacts are still missing, and it is believed that they were smuggled into Europe.
Following multiple break-ins at museums around the country, a list of stolen artifacts was sent to the Interpol in 2013 by the ministry.
Following diplomatic negotiations, the stolen relic is in the process of being safely returned to Egypt.
"It's a diplomatic victory," said a source from the Antiquities Ministry who stopped the sale.
According to a statement from the Antiquities Ministry on its official Facebook Page, the statue is believed to date to 664-332 BC and was found in 2008 by Swiss archaeologists working in Egypt.
Officials at the Ministry said that there is an ongoing investigation to salvage another ancient artifact that was stolen from the Aswan museum. It is believed that the second item is in Germany, however, there are no further details available about the ongoing investigation.