ICE Seizes $1.7 Million More in Antique Statues Allegedly Imported as 'Table Sets'
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement seized two more antique statues that it traced back to alleged smuggler Subhash Kapoor, it said. The statues, which are estimated to be worth $1.7 million, were seized from a Manhattan hotel Oct. 23. The hotel was allegedly lent the statues by Art of the Past gallery, which is owned by Kapoor. In July, an arrest warrant for Kapoor was issued by the Manhattan Criminal Court on charges he possessed stolen property.
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The statues seized include a grey schist bust of a Bodhisattva from Gandhara, from the second to third century A.D.; and a white sandstone sculpture depicting a Ganesha from India, from the 10th century A.D.
In February 2007, the Indian consulate contacted ICE requesting assistance in the investigation of the potential smuggling of Indian antiquities into New York, ICE said. The Indian consulate advised ICE that an import and export company was expecting the arrival of a shipment containing seven crates manifested as "Marble Garden Table Sets." The consulate believed the crates contained stolen Indian antiquities, ICE said. This merchandise was allegedly imported by Kapoor.
As a result of the investigation, ICE has seized over 100 antiquities with an estimated value of $75 million. Notable items seized include:
- One five foot tall head of a Buddha weighing about 1,600 pounds;
- One life-sized stone figure weighing about 500 pounds;
- A bronze sculpture, depicting Uma Parvati, valued at nearly $2.5 million; and
- A second century B.C. Bharhut Stupa Yakshi pillar sculpture valued at nearly $15 million.
The investigation uncovered that Kapoor allegedly created false provenances to disguise the histories of his illicit antiquities, ICE said. Kapoor, who was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, was arrested in late 2011 at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany. Kapoor was extradited to India July 2012, where he faced criminal charges.
(See ITT's Online Archives 12073107 for summary of $20 million in antiquities in July from a storage facilities belonging to Kapoor.)