Egypt Recovers Antiquities Worth $3 Billion From US

Egypt has recovered 25 rare ancient artifacts that were illegally trafficked to the United States, the result of a three-year collaborative effort involving the Egyptian Consulate General in New York, the New York District Attorney’s Office, U.S. security agencies, private collectors, and auction houses. The returned items, spanning several millennia, include gilded wooden sarcophagus lids over 5,500 years old, a Greco-Roman Fayyoum portrait, funerary masks, temple fragments believed to be linked to Queen Hatshepsut, a rare gold coin from Ptolemy I's reign, and various small statues and jewelry. Authorities estimate that more than $3 billion worth of Egyptian artifacts have been illegally exported since the 2011 uprising, which triggered a surge in theft and smuggling. Nearly 30,000 items have been repatriated to Egypt over the past decade due to intensified legal and diplomatic actions. The recent return followed protracted negotiations with both private collectors and auction houses after the illicit provenance of the items was confirmed. Egypt continues to strengthen site security and international cooperation to prevent future trafficking of its cultural heritage.