Artefacts worth $14 million linked to global trafficking network returned to India
April 30, 2026: India has received 657 stolen antiquities from the United States, valued at nearly $14 million, in a major cultural repatriation effort. The artefacts had been trafficked through international networks before being sold abroad. Key figures linked to the racket include disgraced art dealer Subhash Kapoor and convicted trafficker Nancy Wiener. Announcing the return, Alvin Bragg said more work remains to bring back looted heritage items.
Among the most significant pieces is a bronze statue of Avalokiteshvara valued at $2 million, originally housed in a museum in Raipur before being stolen and smuggled abroad. A sandstone sculpture of a dancing Ganesha, looted from a temple in Madhya Pradesh, was also recovered after being illegally sold through an auction house in New York. Another major artefact is a red sandstone Buddha statue in abhaya mudra, worth $7.5 million, which had been smuggled into the US and later seized from a storage unit linked to Kapoor.
Officials highlighted the importance of international cooperation in recovering stolen heritage. Representatives from the Consulate General of India in New York attended the handover ceremony, acknowledging the role of US authorities and law enforcement agencies. The return of these artefacts underscores the scale of global antiquities trafficking and ongoing efforts to restore India’s cultural heritage.