Chennai, May 2:
In a major boost to cultural restitution efforts, authorities in the United States have returned 657 stolen antiquities valued at nearly $14 million to India.
The recovery was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, following extensive investigations into international trafficking networks.
The artefacts were traced to smuggling operations linked to notorious traffickers Subhash Kapoor and Nancy Wiener.
The items were formally handed over in New York in the presence of Indian officials, marking another step in ongoing efforts to reclaim stolen heritage.
Among the recovered pieces are rare and valuable artefacts, including a bronze Avalokiteshvara statue, a sandstone Buddha figure, and a dancing Ganesha idol, many of which had been illegally exported decades ago.
Investigations by US agencies, including Homeland Security, have so far led to the recovery of thousands of cultural objects, with several traffickers convicted and more cases under progress.