FBI returns looted treasures to Egypt — and exposes a market worth more than a billion dollars

The FBI has returned 48 archaeological artifacts looted from Egypt and smuggled into the US. The investigation was launched after the last holder of the items contacted the bureau himself. Behind the scenes, an international market for stolen antiquities is estimated at more than a billion dollars.

The FBI has returned 48 archaeological artifacts looted from Egypt and smuggled into the US. The antiquities were handed over in an official ceremony in Los Angeles over the past weekend. Among the items: statues, amulets, burial equipment, jewelry, and rare inscriptions from the Pharaonic, Roman, and Coptic periods. The case came to light after the person holding the items contacted the FBI himself after discovering questions about their origin. Investigators determined there is no documentation of legal export from Egypt. According to CBS, US law enforcement has returned more than 5,000 cultural items to Egypt in the past decade. The FBI's Art Crime Team, established in 2004, has since returned more than 20,000 items worth a total of over a billion dollars. Meanwhile, Egypt is tracking about 20,000 additional items of similar value. Dr. Hawass said this constitutes "unlawful appropriation" of Egypt's history and cultural identity. Dr. Shaker noted that a 2016 agreement between the US and Egypt for the protection of cultural property was a breakthrough. The FBI warns that the trade in stolen antiquities also serves as a source of funding for crime and terrorist organizations.