Syria arrests couple over theft at Damascus home of artist Muna Wassef

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's Interior Ministry said a man and his wife have been detained on suspicion of stealing from the Damascus home of artist Muna Wassef. The ministry's Homicide Investigation Department said the couple entered the residence using a copy of the key. In a video statement released by the ministry, Wassef said she returned from Lebanon a few days before Eid al-Adha and found her home in disarray, with a large sum of cash missing from a steel safe. According to ministry figures, the stolen items included $185,000, 100,000 UAE dirhams and pieces of gold jewelry. Investigators said the suspects attempted to obscure evidence at the scene using cleaning materials and oils, but forensic teams recovered critical traces. The ministry said cigarette butts found at the scene played a decisive role in identifying the two suspects, whose identities were established within a short period. No further details on potential accomplices or the recovery of the stolen property were immediately provided.