Illegal art trade: US hands over stolen artefacts worth millions to Egypt

Enlarge image

Face of an Egyptian sarcophagus dated 945-712 BC.

BC: It went back to Cairo along with 15 other artifacts

Photo: - / AFP

The US has returned more than a dozen stolen artworks from ancient Egypt to Cairo.

The 16 artifacts are worth a total of more than $16 million, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

The case sheds light on the extent of the illegal trade in antiquities.

Five of the artifacts had been confiscated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art during investigations into an international smuggling ring.

They came from looted archaeological sites in Egypt and had been smuggled to France via Germany and the Netherlands, from where they were sold to the Metropolitan Museum.

Nine suspects were arrested in France as part of the investigation, including the former director of the Paris Louvre, Jean-Luc Martinez.

Nine more of the returned pieces come from the collection Michael Steinhardt.

In 2021, the antique collector returned 180 stolen antique artefacts with a total value of around 70 million euros to avoid prison.

According to an announcement by the public prosecutor's office, he may no longer acquire antiquities for the rest of his life.

ime/AFP