By: Vibhuti Pathak
New York authorities have repatriated stolen antiquities worth $3 million to Cambodia and Indonesia, recovering 30 artefacts linked to an illicit trade network operated by American smugglers. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the repatriation, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to combat trafficking networks targeting Southeast Asian cultural heritage.
Among the repatriated items are a bronze Shiva idol, known as the ‘Shiva Triad,’ illegally removed from Cambodia, and a stone bas-relief depicting two royal figures from the Majapahit empire, stolen from Indonesia. These artefacts were part of a network orchestrated by Indian-American art dealer Subhash Kapoor and American dealer Nancy Wiener.
Kapoor, arrested in 2011, is currently serving a 13-year sentence for his involvement in the trafficking, while Wiener, sentenced in 2021, attempted to sell the Shiva statue. Bragg’s tenure has seen the retrieval of over 1,200 items worth $250 million.
