Smuggled ‘Home Decor’ Turns Out to Be Priceless Egyptian Artifacts
An ancient Egyptian statue that was smuggled into the US. (US Attorney's Office, Maryland)
Federal authorities have seized a collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts that were illegally smuggled into the United States under false pretenses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baltimore announced Monday that a federal court in Maryland finalized the forfeiture order after a default judgment.
The artifacts—14 in total—include amulets, figurines, and a limestone funerary statue valued at roughly $6 million. They were intercepted by Customs and Border Protection agents at airports in Anchorage, Cincinnati, and New York City between August 2020 and April 2021. At least one shipment was destined for a private collector in Edgewater, Maryland, according to prosecutors.
Shipping labels had described the items as “home decor” and “decoration,” but historians and appraisers determined they were, in fact, significant cultural treasures. Authorities believe the limestone statue may have come from royal burial grounds in Saqqara or Giza, two of Egypt’s most important archaeological sites.
The Justice Department said it will begin the process of returning the artifacts to Egypt through diplomatic channels, consistent with previous cases.
“These ancient artifacts are not only valuable but also irreplaceable pieces of human history,” said Evan Campanella, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore. “They represent the story of our shared civilization and must be preserved.”
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