Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the return of two stone sculptures to the people of Cambodia. The objects were recovered pursuant to several criminal investigations into trafficking networks targeting Cambodian antiquities, including that of SUBHASH KAPOOR.

For more than a decade, the District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit (ATU), along with law-enforcement partners, have investigated KAPOOR and his co-conspirators for the alleged illegal looting, exportation, and sale of artifacts from numerous countries in South and Southeast Asia. The D.A.’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for KAPOOR in 2012 and his extradition from India, is pending. To date, the investigation has led to the convictions of five individuals and the pending extradition of five others.

“I am pleased that we have been able to return more than 30 pieces to Cambodia in just the past several years. That is a testament to the outstanding work of our investigators and prosecutors, and I thank them for their continued efforts to dismantle these smuggling rings,” said District Attorney Bragg.  

“Cambodia deeply values the robust partnership with the District Attorney of New York that has enabled the return of these invaluable cultural treasures. As we mark the 75th anniversary of Cambodia–U.S. diplomatic relations, this meaningful act reflects the strength of our enduring ties and our shared commitment to cultural preservation and justice,” said Ambassador Koy Kuong.

The pieces being returned today are:

• A Grey Sandstone Torso, depicting a male figure, originally with four arms, carved wearing a decorated sampot. Dated to the Bauphon Period (11th century C.E.), the Torso was first excavated from the site of the ancient temple Prasat Bavel and entered the collection of the Wat Po Veal Museum in Battambang, Cambodia by 1965. Shortly after the outbreak of the Cambodian Civil War, in 1970 the National Committee of Cambodia for the Protection of Cultural Property ordered the collection of the Wat Po Veal Museum be removed to safety and the Torso was stored in a warehouse with other smaller stone artifacts. After the end of the war in 1985, however, it was discovered that the Torso had been stolen from the warehouse, along with dozens of other antiquities. The Torso next appeared at a London auction house in 1981, where it was purchased by an American collector. It remained in that collector’s possession until his death and was subsequently sold at auction in New York County in September 2024. Shortly thereafter, it was seized by the ATU.
• The Khmer Head of a Ruler in the Angkor style dates to the 12th century C.E. A fragmentary naga, a sign of royalty or divinity, can be seen on the back of the head, along with recent signs of damage that testify to the violent way it was removed from its original context. The head was then smuggled into the United States and laundered through various dealers and appraisers.

Pictured: “Grey Sandstone Torso”

During District Attorney Bragg’s tenure, the ATU has recovered almost 2,300 antiquities stolen from 39 countries and valued at more than $250 million. Since its creation, the ATU has recovered almost 6,000 antiquities valued at more than $460 million and has returned almost 5,500 of them so far to 29 countries.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, Chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit and Senior Trial Counsel, conducted the investigations, along with Assistant District Attorneys Jacqueline Studley and James Edwards-Lebair, and Investigative Analysts Charlotte Looram and Hilary Chassé. Investigative support was provided by Huot Samnang, Director of the Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia; the Celtrac Team of the University of Poitiers; and Mélanie Theillet. The District Attorney’s Office would also like to thank James E. Breece III for his assistance and cooperation with our investigation.

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