Three people were caught attempting to steal a 10-ton statue of Pharaoh Ramses II in the city of Aswan in the south of Egypt, reports said.

In a statement made by the Egyptian Chief Prosecutor's Office, it was noted that the statue, which is 3 meters (9.84 feet) tall and 10 tons in weight belongs to Ramses II, one of the famous pharaohs.

According to determinations, the would-be thieves excavated the area, which is known as the ancient artifacts region of the city of Aswan. Trying to smuggle the statue using excavation and leverage equipment, they were caught red-handed by the Egyptian police.

In Egypt, where the smuggling of antiquities is quite common, 29,300 historical artifacts that were previously smuggled abroad have been brought back to the country in the last 10 years, according to official data.