The United States has turned over over 1,400 looted artifacts worth $10 million back to India. This was part of a global effort to combat art trafficking; the artifacts were given in a ceremony at the Indian consulate in New York on Wednesday.

Which artifacts were returned?

These returned treasures include pieces that have previously been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In them is a sandstone sculpture of a celestial dancer smuggled from central India to London before being illegally sold to a patron of the museum. According to CNN, the piece has since been donated to the museum.

How were these items recovered?

The Manhattan District Attorney's office stated that the items were recovered through investigations into criminal trafficking networks run by convicted art dealers Subhash Kapoor and Nancy Wiener.

Kapoor, once a well-known New York antiquities dealer, is now serving a 10-year sentence in India for running a multimillion-dollar looting operation. Arrested in Germany and extradited to India, he was convicted of antiquities trafficking in 2022. His extradition to the U.S. remains pending.

William S. Walker, Head of Homeland Security Investigations in New York, called the recovery "a victory in a multi-year, international investigation into one of history's most prolific offenders."

This was achieved after the July signing of the first-ever "Cultural Property Agreement" between India and the United States. The pact, signed by India's Ministry of Culture Secretary Govind Mohan and U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti, aims to curb illicit antiquities trafficking and protect cultural heritage.

The return of these artifacts not only restores invaluable cultural treasures to their rightful home but also underscores the commitment of both nations to combat the illicit trade of heritage items.