The United States, on Wednesday returned more than 450 stolen cultural artifacts to Pakistan, valued at $23 million, as stated by the US embassy.
These artifacts are described as some of the earliest human-made representations that provide insights into the region’s initial settled communities.
Artifacts refer to man-made items, including artworks or tools, that hold significant cultural, historical, or archaeological value.
According to a 2018 report by Standard Chartered Bank, the illegal antiquities trade constitutes a multi-billion-dollar global industry.
This trade frequently serves as a major funding source for criminal and militant organisations on the supply side, as reported by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
At an event held at the Islamabad Museum to repatriate the artifacts, US Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur remarked, “Today we celebrate the successful recovery and repatriation of more than 450 antiquities collectively valued at more than $23 million to the people of Pakistan.”
He further noted, “Among these artifacts are terracotta figurines that are over four thousand years old. These figurines represent some of the earliest human-crafted representations globally and provide insights into the region’s first settled communities.”
The US embassy, in a separate statement, indicated that the recovery was facilitated by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, with support from the US Department of Homeland Security and Pakistani authorities.
Additionally, the US embassy reported that Washington has recovered and repatriated a total of 514 antiquities to Pakistan over the last decade.
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