US Returns 657 Stolen Indian Antiquities Worth Nearly $14 Million to India

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has repatriated 657 Indian antiquities, collectively valued at nearly $14 million, to India in a major victory against international cultural heritage trafficking.

The artifacts were formally handed over during a ceremony in New York on April 28, attended by Consul Rajlakshmi Kadam from the Consulate General of India. This completes a three-phase repatriation process: 612 items were returned in November 2024, 26 in July 2025, and the final 19 this week.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg described the scale of the trafficking networks targeting Indian cultural heritage as “massive.” The pieces were recovered through ongoing investigations into criminal smuggling operations, including those linked to alleged antiquities trafficker Subhash Kapoor and convicted trafficker Nancy Wiener.

Notable items among the returned collection include a rare Bronze Avalokiteshvara from Chhattisgarh, a Red Sandstone Buddha, and a Dancing Ganesha from Madhya Pradesh. Many of the artifacts were looted from temples and archaeological sites before being smuggled into the United States and entering the global art market.

The Manhattan DA’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations, has pursued these networks for over a decade. Indian officials have welcomed the return as an important step in preserving the country’s rich historical legacy, while authorities noted that efforts to recover additional stolen artifacts continue.