Authorities in New York City have returned more than 650 artefacts valued at around $14 million to India. The handover was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L Bragg Jr. during a ceremony attended by Consul Rajlakshmi Kadam from the Consulate General of India in New York.
Officials said the antiquities were largely trafficked into the United States and later recovered through extensive investigations into smuggling networks.
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Trafficking networks under scrutiny
Highlighting the scale of the issue, Bragg was quoted as saying by Financial Express, "The scale of the trafficking networks that targeted cultural heritage in India is massive, as demonstrated by the return of more than 600 pieces today," adding, "There is unfortunately more work to be done to return stolen artifacts back to India, and I thank our team for their persistent efforts."
The recovery effort is linked to long-running probes by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit and Homeland Security, focusing on illegal trade routes involving South and Southeast Asian artefacts.
Key artefacts recovered
Among the returned items is a bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, originally stolen from the Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum in Raipur, per Financial Express. It was smuggled into the US by 1982 and later traced to a private collection in New York before being seized in 2025.
Another significant recovery is a red sandstone Buddha statue, valued at $7.5 million, allegedly smuggled by art dealer Subhash Kapoor. The statue was found in a storage unit linked to the trafficking network.
A sandstone sculpture of a dancing Ganesha, looted from a temple in Madhya Pradesh in 2000, was also returned. The piece had passed through multiple hands, including gallery ownership and auction, before being surrendered earlier this year.
Ongoing investigations and wider impact
Kapoor and several associates have faced charges related to trafficking stolen antiquities. While he was convicted in India in 2022, proceedings in the United States are ongoing, with multiple co-conspirators already convicted.
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The latest return follows similar efforts by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Antiquities linked to Kapoor worth over $3 million were returned to Nepal last year, while artefacts were also sent back to Afghanistan in 2021.
The development comes as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently commented on global debates around cultural restitution, including the ownership of the Koh-i-noor diamond.
