During an evacuation ceremony attended by Pakistan Consul General Ayesha Ali and officials from US Homeland Security Investigations, the United States returned 104 stolen artifacts worth approximately $3.3 million to Pakistan.
The United States enforcement authorities busted an international smuggling racket and recovered art pieces that included:
- Schist reliquary casket, circa 3rd-4th century, valued at $175,000.
- Gilded schist head of a Bodhisattva, circa 2nd-3rd century, valued at $250,000.
- Stucco Bodhisattva, circa 3rd-6th century, valued at around $750,000.
The probe revealed that a New York-based art thief named Subhash Kapoor who is now in prison along with his accomplices was running the racket for several years and suspected to have smuggled antiques worth around $100 million from several countries including Pakistan.
However, 104 stolen artifacts worth about $3.3 million from Pakistan have been returned by the United States during an evacuation ceremony joined by Pakistan Consul General Ayesha Ali and officials of US Homeland Security Investigations.
District Attorney Vance while speaking at the ceremony said, “This magnificent collection of artifacts returned to the Pakistanis today epitomize that nation’s rich cultural heritage and humanity’s never-ending quest for enlightenment and peace as every stolen artifact tells its own story.”
Pakistan’s Consul General Ayesha Ali hailed the decision of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security for their efforts in retrieving the stolen cultural treasures of Pakistan. She also expressed hope that the recovered art pieces will be displayed in Pakistani museums soon.
Further, earlier in November 2020, the US authorities office had also repatriated 45 antiquities to Pakistan that were recovered in 2015 from Nayef Homsi – an infamous trafficker involved in the illegal looting, exportation, and sale of ancient art from the South Asian region. The authority has also returned 497 antiquities to 11 countries since August 2020.
