US Returned over 1400 Looted Artefacts Worth 10 million dollars: America has returned more than 1,400 looted artefacts worth $10 million to India. US officials said on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) that it has returned these items to India as part of the ongoing initiative to bring back stolen artefacts from countries in South and South-East Asia.
The artefacts that India has received also include those which were displayed in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art till recently. The returned items also include a sandstone statue of a divine dancer, which was smuggled to London from Central India. Later it was sold. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a press release that the items were recovered as part of an ongoing investigation into a criminal trafficking network. There is also a gang of smugglers Subhash Kapoor and Nancy Weiner in this.
Items handed over to the Indian Embassy
In a press statement from the Manhattan DA’s Office, William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New York, said, “The items returned today are part of a multi-year, multi-year investigation of antiquities trafficked by one of the most notorious criminals. “This marks another victory in the international investigation.” According to CNN, the looted artefacts were formally handed back to India in a ceremony at the Indian Consulate in New York on Wednesday.
An agreement was signed between the two countries in July
It is noteworthy that India and America had signed the “Cultural Property Agreement” earlier in July to prevent and control illegal smuggling of antiquities from India to America. According to a press release from the Indian Ministry of Culture, the agreement was signed by Ministry Secretary Govind Mohan and US Ambassador to India HE Eric Garcetti.
297 items were returned in September
In September, America returned 297 stolen or smuggled ancient objects to India. Regarding the artefacts returned on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a press release saying, “Most of the antiquities are terracotta artefacts from eastern India, while others are made of stone, metal, wood and ivory and belong to different parts of the country. The total number of cultural artefacts returned from America to India since 2016 has been 578. This is the maximum number of cultural artefacts returned to India by any country.
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