Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced the return of two stone sculptures to the people of Cambodia. The objects were recovered pursuant to several criminal investigations into trafficking networks targeting Cambodian antiquities, including that of SUBHASH KAPOOR.
For more than a decade, the District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit (ATU), along with law-enforcement partners, have investigated KAPOOR and his co-conspirators for the alleged illegal looting, exportation, and sale of artifacts from numerous countries in South and Southeast Asia. The D.A.’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for KAPOOR in 2012 and his extradition from India, is pending. To date, the investigation has led to the convictions of five individuals and the pending extradition of five others.
“I am pleased that we have been able to return more than 30 pieces to Cambodia in just the past several years. That is a testament to the outstanding work of our investigators and prosecutors, and I thank them for their continued efforts to dismantle these smuggling rings,” said District Attorney Bragg.
“Cambodia deeply values the robust partnership with the District Attorney of New York that has enabled the return of these invaluable cultural treasures. As we mark the 75th anniversary of Cambodia–U.S. diplomatic relations, this meaningful act reflects the strength of our enduring ties and our shared commitment to cultural preservation and justice,” said Ambassador Koy Kuong.
During District Attorney Bragg’s tenure, the ATU has recovered almost 2,300 antiquities stolen from 39 countries and valued at more than $250 million. Since its creation, the ATU has recovered almost 6,000 antiquities valued at more than $460 million and has returned almost 5,500 of them so far to 29 countries.
Main Image: Grey Sandstone Torso