US returns over 450 stolen antiquities worth $23m to Pakistan

• Repatriated collection includes historically significant objects illegally removed from Pakistan, says US embassy

• Illegal antiquities trade is a multi-billion-dollar global industry, often a major funding source for criminal groups

 ISLAMABAD: The United States on Wednesday returned more than 450 stolen cultural artifacts worth an estimated $23 million to Pakistan, with American officials describing the collection as one of immense historical significance that sheds light on some of the region’s earliest settled civilizations.

The announcement was made by the US embassy in Islamabad, which said the recovered antiquities included some of the earliest known human-crafted representations discovered in South Asia.

Artifacts are man-made objects — including artworks, sculptures and tools — that carry significant cultural, archaeological and historical value.

The illegal antiquities trade remains a multi-billion-dollar global industry, according to a 2018 report by Standard Chartered Bank, while the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project has identified the illicit trade as a major source of financing for criminal and militant networks involved in smuggling operations worldwide.

“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,” said Paul Kapur while addressing a ceremony held at the Islamabad Museum for the handover of the artifacts.

Learn how U.S.-Pakistan cooperation helped return cultural artifacts to their rightful home, further strengthening our partnerships and protecting shared heritage.⁰https://t.co/Meu9EEOI62⁰#USPakistanProtectingHeritage ⁰⁰امریکہ اور پاکستان کے تعاون سے تاریخی نوادرات کو اُن کے…

— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) May 13, 2026

Kapur said the repatriated collection comprised historically significant objects that had been illegally removed from Pakistan over several decades.

“Among these artifacts are terracotta figurines that are more than four thousand years old,” he said.

“These figurines are among the earliest human-crafted representations in the world and offer insights into some of the region’s first settled communities.”

In a separate statement, the US embassy said the recovery operation was carried out by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office with assistance from the US Department of Homeland Security and Pakistani authorities.

The embassy said Washington had recovered and repatriated a total of 514 antiquities to Pakistan over the past decade.

“These items were seized through criminal investigations into international trafficking networks,” the statement added.

According to the embassy, the recovered collection includes a rare second-century C.E. Buddhapada sculpture valued at $1.1 million, which was looted from Pakistan during the 1980s before being trafficked into New York.

Other major artifacts returned to Pakistan include a Gandharan frieze depicting Buddhist figures, ancient Mehrgarh terracotta figurines dating from 3500–2600 B.C.E., and a statue of the Bodhisattva Maitreya.

“The seizures also include a Gold Strato I coin from 105–85 B.C.E., recovered in 2023,” the embassy said.

It added that the recovery efforts had resulted in multiple convictions, underscoring growing international cooperation against illicit antiquities trafficking and smuggling.

“The repatriation underscores broader US-Pakistan collaboration in law enforcement, cultural preservation and heritage protection,” the embassy concluded.