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Border Patrol Agents Find Illegal Mummy Artifacts

Several jars containing linens from an Egyptian mummy were seized by Border Patrol agents near Port Huron, Michigan this week. The linens allegedly date from between 305 to 30 BC, according to border officials. The linens were probably buried with mummies from the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt.

Officials at Customs and Border Control contacted an archaeological organization in Washington, DC, who confirmed the shipments were authentic–and illegal.

“This seizure of historical importance highlights the wide variety of federal laws that CBP is responsible for enforcing. I am extremely proud of our officers’ hard work during and after the discovery of these ancient artifacts” said Michael Fox, a Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson.

The individual shipping the items was unable to verify that the linens had been removed from Egypt prior to April 2016. This made the shipment a violation of international law–specifically, the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act.

Customs and Border Patrol did not say what will happen to the linens now that they’ve been seized. While most media coverage of Customs and Border Patrol focuses on their role on the U.S.-Mexico border, this bizarre story shows they have their hands full up north, too.