During Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to France, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs announced that France is set to return to Egypt eight ancient Egyptian artefacts that were illegally excavated and smuggled from the country.

The artefacts were seized in 2010 after they were found in the possession of a French citizen at a train station in France, a source from Egypt’s antiquities ministry told Ahram Online.

The artefacts were seized after the citizen failed to produce a deed proving ownership, and were sent to the Louvre museum for authentication.

The artefacts are to be handed to the Egyptian ambassador to France at a gala ceremony on Thursday.

Further details on the nature of the artefacts are expected to be announced after their arrival to Egypt, the source said.