Tag

Illicit Trafficking

All articles tagged with #illicit trafficking

world5 months ago•3 min saved

Niger Probes $5M Sale of Largest Earth Mars Rock

Niger is investigating the sale of a $5 million Mars meteorite, the largest ever found on Earth, amid concerns it was smuggled out of the country illegally. The meteorite, discovered in Niger's Sahara Desert, was sold at a New York auction, prompting Niger to suspend exports of meteorites and stones to trace its origins and prevent illicit trade. The case highlights issues of cultural property rights and the challenges of regulating mineral and meteorite trade in desert regions.

via ABC News|

#auction #illicit-trafficking #mars-rock

world5 months ago•4 min saved

Niger Demands Answers Over $8 Million Mars Meteorite Sale

A 54-pound Martian meteorite sold for over $5 million at a New York auction, setting a world record, but Niger is investigating its illegal export and sale, claiming it may have been smuggled out of the country, raising questions about international law and heritage protection.

via CBS News|

#auction #heritage-law #illicit-trafficking

art-and-culture2 years ago•2 min saved

Metropolitan Museum of Art to Repatriate Stolen Cambodian Sculptures

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will return thirteen stolen Khmer artworks to Cambodia, which were tied to illicit trafficking and a collector named Douglas Latchford. The museum will also return an additional sculpture to Cambodia and two to Thailand, bringing the total to 16 artworks. The museum has been working with Cambodia and the U.S. attorney's office to resolve questions regarding these works of art. However, critics argue that the museum has been slow in identifying and returning potentially looted artworks. Federal prosecutors warn cultural institutions and art world professionals to be vigilant about potentially plundered art and to cooperate in facilitating the return to rightful owners.

via Gothamist|

#art-and-culture #cambodia #illicit-trafficking

art-and-culture2 years ago•3 min saved

"U.S. Attorney Facilitates Return of 16 Looted Ancient Treasures to Cambodia and Thailand"

The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have reached an agreement to return 13 Khmer antiquities to Cambodia. The pieces, linked to the illicit trafficking network of collector and dealer Douglas Latchford, are being voluntarily returned by the Met. The U.S. Attorney's Office and Homeland Security Investigations have been actively investigating and repatriating stolen Cambodian antiquities since 2012. The statues being returned include a 10th-century goddess sandstone statue from the Koh Ker archaeological site and a 7th-century head of Buddha.

via Department of Justice|

#antiquities #art-and-culture #cambodia