US Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr. announced the return of a pair of antique statues of Buddha valued at approximately $66,000 to the people of Sri Lanka.
“This remarkable pair was part of the collection of thousands of looted and stolen antiquities that my Office’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit and our partners at Homeland Security Investigations seized from Subhash Kapoor,” said District Attorney Vance.
“Mr. Kapoor and his co-conspirators allegedly trafficked millions of dollars’ worth of ancient relics with abandon for many years. We have filed charges and extradition paperwork to ensure Mr. Kapoor will face justice for these crimes of culture. While we await his return to Manhattan, we are incredibly pleased to be able to repatriate these beautiful pieces to their rightful owners – the people of Sri Lanka.”
“Preserving the world’s cultural heritage is and will continue to be a priority for Homeland Security Investigations. The pieces repatriated today have a significant monetary value, but these pieces are invaluable to the people of Sri Lanka,” said Homeland Security Investigations New York Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh. “It is an honor for HSI and our law enforcement partners to collaborate with our fellow nations to return artifacts to their rightful home.”
“We are grateful for the tireless work of the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, his staff, the members of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit led by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos and officers of the Homeland Security Investigations for recovering and restoring for the first time in the US, two historically valuable artifacts of the Lord Buddha dating to the 18th Century, as part of Sri Lanka’s rich religious and cultural heritage,” said Ambassador Mohan Pieris.