U.S. Forfeits 14 Smuggled Egyptian Artifacts

Federal prosecutors in Maryland finalized the forfeiture of 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts smuggled into the United States, including an Old Kingdom limestone funerary statue appraised at about $6 million. U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered amulets, stone figurines, a vase and the statue in mislabeled parcels inspected between August 2020 and April 2021 at airports in Anchorage, Cincinnati and New York City, and at least one shipment was destined for a private collector in Edgewater, Maryland. Homeland Security Investigations’ Baltimore office investigated the seizures and the U.S. Attorney’s Office obtained a default judgment in federal court to complete civil asset forfeiture. Experts believe the statue likely originated from Saqqara or Giza, and officials said the Justice Department will work with foreign authorities to return the artifacts to Egypt. Authorities said the case underscores efforts to disrupt black‑market antiquities networks that use falsified paperwork to move looted cultural heritage into the U.S.