The US returned more than 1,400 artefacts to India, valued at USD 1 crore. The country formally handed over the artefacts to India on Wednesday (November 13) as part of an initiative to return stolen artefacts from the South and Southeast Asian countries. This information was reported by the US media CNN about the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Indian media NDTV reported this news in a report.
Some of the recovered artworks were displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York. Among them is a sandstone figure of a dancer, which was smuggled from central India to London and sold illegally to a patron of the Met Museum.
In a news release, the Manhattan district attorney's office said the artifacts were recovered in several ongoing investigations into the network of art thefts.
Among the looter networks are notorious traffickers like Nancy Weiner and Subhas Kapoor.
American art dealer Subhas Kapoor runs a network of art thefts through New York galleries. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty.
After his arrest in Germany in 2011, he was sent to Tamil Nadu, India to face trial.
In 2012, an arrest warrant was issued against him in the United States. However, he is currently in the custody of the Indian government. He is being extradited to the United States.
The stolen artefacts were officially returned at a ceremony at the Indian Consulate in New York.
In July, the US and India signed an agreement to protect cultural property by curbing illegal trade and returning stolen artefacts to India.
US returns 297 antiquities stolen to India in September Most of the artifacts were terracotta artifacts from eastern India. Others are made of stone, metal, wood and ivory.
