The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, New York, has returned three Majapahit Kingdom artifacts to the Indonesian government, BBC Indonesia reported.
The historical objects are suspected to have come from an illicit trade syndicate. Senior archaeologists suspect the artifacts were smuggled out of Indonesia via Bali and Singapore.
According to the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) New York’s Instagram, the value of the antiques reached US$405,000 or IDR 6.5 billion.
Following a thorough investigation, the New York County District Attorney’s Office returned the three artifacts to the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia New York on April 24, as reported by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) New York on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
“The value of these antiques is estimated at USD 405,000 in total, having been smuggled out of Indonesia to be sold in the U.S.,” the Consulate wrote.
In addition to the Indonesian artifacts, the U.S. returned 27 antiques stolen from Cambodia. The valuable items cost nearly 3 million U.S. dollars or around IDR 48 billion.
The Indonesian Consul General in New York, Winanto Adi, said the discovery coincided with 75 years of bilateral relations between Indonesia and the U.S. It shows the closeness of the two countries.
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“We thank the District Attorney’s Office Antiquities Trade Unit and the Department of Homeland Security for their hard work in returning these objects to the Indonesian government,” the Consulate General wrote.
Stolen Artifacts by an International Syndicate
According to the official release, the return of the stolen goods was carried out based on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr.’s decision in a case of antique trading from Southeast Asia.
Two defendants, Subhash Kapoor and Nancy Wiener, were charged with theft, smuggling, and selling antiques.
