Photo: Royal Embassy of Cambodia, Washington, DC

 

The United States has returned two ancient Khmer artefacts to Cambodia, marking another step in the fight against cultural artefact trafficking. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office handed over the relics to Cambodian officials on 26 March, as part of an ongoing investigation into smuggling networks linked to disgraced art dealer Subhash Kapoor.

 

The artefacts, dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, were illicitly removed from Cambodia and eventually surfaced in the US. One, a sculpture known as "Head of a Ruler," is a relic from the Angkor period, bearing signs of violent removal. The other, a "Grey Sandstone Torso" from the Baphuon period, was stolen from Cambodia’s Wat Po Veal Museum during the country’s civil war and later sold at auction in New York in 2024 before being seized by authorities.

 

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg highlighted the significance of the return, noting that over 30 stolen Cambodian artefacts have been repatriated in recent years. Since 2011, US authorities have recovered more than 2,500 objects linked to Kapoor’s smuggling ring, many of which have been returned to their rightful countries, including India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

 

Kapoor, who was sentenced to ten years in prison in India in 2022, still faces extradition to the US, where he has been charged with 86 criminal counts. Five members of his network have already been convicted.

 

-2025-03-29

 

 

25 years ago I walked into a Soho gallery in lower Manhattan filled with Buddhist statues and asked if these were looted from Asia and was quietly told to leave.