14 Egyptian artifacts worth millions smuggled into U.S. seized by CBP
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The Old Kingdom Limestone Funerary Statue, valued at $6 million, is one of 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts that prosecutors say were illegally smuggled into the U.S. Photo: Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office
The U.S. government seized 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts that were "illegally smuggled" into the country, prosecutors announced Monday.
The big picture: A federal court in Maryland granted a default judgment completing the forfeiture of the artifacts that included a limestone statue valued at around $6 million, per a post on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore.
- In addition to the "Old Kingdom Limestone Funerary Statue," other smuggled artifacts include amulets, stone figurines and a vase, per the post.
Driving the news: Customs and Border Protection officers seized the artifacts from August 2020 to April 2021 after "inspecting numerous parcels from overseas shippers transiting through airports in Anchorage, Alaska, Cincinnati, Ohio, and New York City," according to the post
- They were destined for private collections, with the attorney's office noting the "ultimate destination for at least one of these shipments was a private collector in Edgewater, Maryland."
Zoom in: Shipping paperwork for the artifacts' parcels contained "deceptive and inaccurate descriptions of their contents," including "home décor," "stone garden statue," or "decoration," according to the post.
- They did not state the true origin or value of the ancient artifacts.
- "Historians and antique appraisers, working with CBP, later confirmed the true nature of each ancient Egyptian artifact," the post said. "In similar cases, the Justice Department has worked through appropriate channels to return smuggled ancient artifacts to their rightful owners — the people of the country of origin."
What they're saying: "These ancient artifacts are more than just relics of the past; they are irreplaceable pieces of global cultural heritage that tell the story of human civilization," said Evan Campanella, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore.
- "The deceptive practices used to smuggle these treasures into the United States not only violate our import laws but also undermine efforts to preserve and protect the integrity of cultural history."
Go deeper: In photos: Egypt uncovers 250 mummies in trove of artifacts
