NEW YORK
A thousands of years old stolen cultural treasure worth of millions of dollars of Pakistan finally handed over to Pakistan in a impressive Ceremony which was held at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Pakistani antiquities dating back to the Gandharan period (3500-2600 BCE).
An agreement was signed on the occasion by Consul General of Pakistan in New York, Aamer Ahmed Atozai and Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Chief of Antiquities Trafficking Unit, Colonel Matthew Bogdanos. Assistant Special Agent in charge Christopher Lau of Homeland Security Investigations was also present. Some of the recovered antiquities were also displayed during the ceremony.
The Consul General expressed his sincere sense of gratitude to the Office of the Manhattan District Attorney, and the Department of Homeland Security for their efforts in retrieving stolen cultural treasure of Pakistan. He emphasized that the return of these artifacts not only restores a part of Pakistan’s cultural heritage but also strengthens the bond between both nations in the fight against cultural property crimes.
The returned items include notable pieces such as a Gandharan statue depicting a Maitreya, Mehrgarh Dolls, an ancient gold coin and some of the earliest human-crafted figurines. These artifacts were recovered through extensive investigations into an international trafficking network which smuggled looted antiquities into markets in the USA, Europe, and Asia.
The Consulate General of Pakistan in New York acknowledges the efforts of all those involved in the recovery and return of these cultural treasures. This event stands as a testament to the power of international collaboration in preserving cultural heritage.
Sources at the US homeland security and NewYork law enforcement officials saying the biggest ever consignment of Fasting Budha and other antques confiscated from an Indian dealer who fled the country after conviction and at large since then and on the most wanted list the same Indian origin guy also wanted in Germany Prior to this big treasure couple of other big lots of stolen gandhara arts were returned to Pakistan by US authorities worth of millions of dollars it should be worth to mention that the repatriation of these good to it’s origin cost the government of Pakistan a big amount in insurance freight and other expenses The Pakistani authorities never took it serious to safeguard the cultural heritage the poor measures and with the help of corrupt officials these antiques are smuggled to other countries.
