This week the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced the restitution of two two looted Cambodian sculptures, recovered as part of its ongoing investigation into global antiquities trafficking networks, including that of Subhash Kapoor, who is currently awaiting extradition from India to face charges in New York. 

A former Manhattan ancient art dealer who operated the gallery Art of the Past, Kapoor is at the center of one of the largest antiquities trafficking networks in history, orchestrating the looting and illegal sale of thousands of cultural artefacts from India, Cambodia, and other Southeast Asian countries. 

Operating under the guise of a legitimate antiquities dealer, Kapoor used his once-prestigious New York gallery to launder stolen artefacts many of which found their way into major museums and private collections worldwide. In India, he worked with temple looters and smugglers to steal sacred Hindu and Buddhist sculptures, many of which were violently removed from their original sites. Similarly, in Cambodia, Kapoor’s network targeted Khmer-era temples, plundering centuries-old statues and carvings that were then smuggled out of the country using falsified provenance documents.

Arrested in Germany on 30 October 2011 while on business to Cologne,  he was  extradited to India, where he remains in custody for his role in illicit activities tied to that source country, with U.S. authorities seek his extradition to face additional charges in New York. To date, investigations into his network have led to the recovery and repatriation of hundreds of looted artefacts, and has exposed the weaknesses in the ancient art market which were easily exploited.  

Cultural Significance of the Returned Artefacts

The Khmer artifact collection at the Wat Po Veal Museum was greatly damaged (with some artefacts looted) in the 1970s, as this early 1980s photo demonstrates. - Image Credit:CDCAM

The torso began circulating on the ancient art market in 1981 at Spink & Son, Ltd., a defunct London auction house that has frequently been linked to looted antiquities.  There it was acquired by a Chicago collector on 20 January 1982.   Once in the US, it remained in private hands for decades until it was placed up for sale by Freeman’s | Hindman auction in New York on 20 September 2024 as Lot 153, at which point the DANY-ATU swiftly intervened and seized the artefact.

The second artefact, a 12th-century Angkor-style Khmer Head of a Ruler, bears a fragmentary naga, a traditional symbol of royalty and divinity with a conical mukuta rising above a diadem carved in filigree design while a fragment of one heavy earring hangs from his right ear.  The sculpture, decapitated at the neck, is symbolic of so many sculptures, violently reduced to transportable moveable commodities by looters. The object was smuggled into the United States and funnelled through a network of dealers, including Kapoor and appraisers before coming to the attention of DANY's investigative team. 

The second artefact, a 12th-century Angkor-style Khmer Head of a Ruler, bears a fragmentary naga, a traditional symbol of royalty and divinity with a conical mukuta rising above a diadem carved in filigree design while a fragment of one heavy earring hangs from his right ear.  The sculpture, decapitated at the neck, is symbolic of so many sculptures, violently reduced to transportable moveable commodities by looters. The object was smuggled into the United States and funnelled through a network of dealers, including Kapoor and appraisers before coming to the attention of DANY's investigative team. 

Efforts to Repatriate Looted Heritage

The return of these sculptures highlights the close collaboration between U.S. authorities and the Cambodian government in reclaiming looted heritage. Ambassador Koy Kuong of Cambodia praised the effort, stating, “As we mark the 75th anniversary of Cambodia–U.S. diplomatic relations, this meaningful act reflects the strength of our enduring ties and our shared commitment to cultural preservation and justice.”

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, along with ADAs Jacqueline Studley and James Edwards-Lebair, led the investigations, supported by a team of investigative analysts and international experts. The efforts were further bolstered by the contributions of Cambodian officials and scholars from the University of Poitiers’ Celtrac Team.

The work of the ATU serves as a crucial reminder of the enduring impact of cultural theft and the importance of holding those responsible accountable. With Kapoor’s extradition still pending, the battle against illicit antiquities trafficking continues, but each successful repatriation marks another step toward justice and the restoration of global heritage.

For over a decade, the District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit (ATU) has worked alongside international partners to investigate Kapoor and his co-conspirators for their alleged role in the illegal looting, exportation, and sale of artifacts from South and Southeast Asia. This extensive probe has resulted in the convictions of five individuals, with extradition proceedings pending for five more. In total, more than 30 artifacts have been repatriated to Cambodia in recent years, underscoring the ATU’s commitment to dismantling smuggling rings and restoring cultural property to its rightful home.

Investigative support for these returns was provided by Huot Samnang, Director of the Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia; CelTrac (Cellule de recherche des trafics des biens culturels) at the Université de Poitiers; and Mélanie Theillet.

Mark Meng, 58, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for orchestrating a years-long scheme to steal high-value violins and for robbing a bank in Irvine.

Meng received his sentence from United States District Judge David O. Carter, who also scheduled a restitution hearing for June 24 to determine financial compensation for the victims. Meng had pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of bank robbery. He has been in federal custody since May 2024.

Fraudulent Violin Scheme

From August 2020 to April 2023, Meng posed as a collector of fine musical instruments in a scheme to defraud violin shops across the country. He requested to borrow violins on a trial basis, negotiating potential purchase prices but ultimately kept the instruments and failed to pay.

Meng issued checks to the violin shops, knowing they would bounce due to insufficient funds. When shop representatives attempted to recover their instruments or payments, he issued additional bad checks or falsely claimed to have returned the violins, alleging they had been lost in the mail. Eventually, he cut off communication with the sellers altogether.

According to court documents, Meng systematically stole multiple valuable violins, including:

In one notable instance, which occurred in February 2023 when Meng borrowed a Guilio Degani violin worth $175,000 from a victim under a trial-period contract, which required him to return or purchase the instrument by February 10, 2023. Instead, Meng attempted to sell the violin to another buyer, who was unaware of its stolen status.

Meng’s criminal activities escalated in desperation in April 2024 when he robbed the  U.S. Bank on Barranca Parkway in Irvine. Wearing a hat, sunglasses, a bandana over his face, and blue latex gloves, he approached a teller and handed over a note demanding $18,000 with the message, “Stay Cool. No harm. Thx.” 

When the teller informed him she did not have access to the requested amount, Meng responded, “Give me whatever you have.” Fearing for her safety, the teller handed him $446 from her till before the suspect fled the scene in a white Toyota Sienna with a temporary license paper plate or a covered plate.

Investigation and Sentencing

Following his crime spree, a latent print left on the robbery note was later traced back to Meng and the getaway vehicle used in the Bank theft was found at his home. On the day of his arrest in the spring of 2024, Meng suffered a heart attack and was remanded into federal custody last May. 

In September 2024 hepleaded guilty in to: one count of wire fraud and one count of bank robbery.

Following his conviction, Meng now faces the possibility of a court-ordered restitution payment to his victims, to be determined in the upcoming June hearing. His case underscores the vulnerability of art and musical instrument dealers to fraud and highlights law enforcement’s commitment to protecting cultural and financial assets.

His crimes were investigated by the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from the Irvine and Glendale Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Alexander and Mark A. Williams of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted the case.

Having surrendered in Germany in connection with a multi-country investigation into illicit antiquities trafficking, Serop Simonian was extradited to France, where he was indicted on 15 September 2023 for fraud, organized gang money laundering, and criminal association, in a complex where he is accused of selling more than €50 million worth of illegally excavated antiquities.

Placed in pre-trial detention while his case made its way through the French courts, his French lawyer, Chloé Arnoux, requested that the courts consider pretrial release under supervision, citing Simonian’s advanced age (born in 1942) and his deteriorating health.  Approaching his 83rd birthday, and sensitive to the fact that his attorney had listed a range of health problems—including osteoarthritis, intestinal issues, migraines, and depression—a liberty and detention judge signed off on his release from La Santé Prison, located in the Montparnasse district of the 14th arrondissement in southern Paris.

According to an article first published by Emmanuel Fansten in the French newspaper Libération, the judge granted his pretrial release on 31 December 2024. The judge ordered Simonian to report once a month to the Hamburg police station and not to leave Germany, except in relation to his upcoming court case.

Given the gravity of the octogenarian’s alleged crimes—and the extensive evidence uncovered by Junalco, France’s National Jurisdiction for the Fight Against Organized Crime, linking Simonian to a criminal network that trafficked looted Egyptian artifacts to prestigious institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre Abu Dhabi—the General Prosecutor of the Paris Court of Appeal formally challenged his release from custody. Citing Simonian’s significant financial resources and extensive international connections, the prosecutor argued that he posed a serious flight risk and urged the court to reconsider its decision to ensure he remained within the jurisdiction of French authorities.

Two weeks after Simonian was granted pretrial liberty, the investigating chamber held a hearing, which ultimately reversed the earlier release decision and ordered that he report back to La Santé prison. Unfortunately, by this point, he had disappeared.

Simonian's case illustrates that age is no barrier to flight, particularly when financial means, international connections, and open borders make travel easier.

One well-known example of a senior citizen on the lam is Israeli-American businessman Jacob “Kobi” Alexander, the former CEO of Comverse Technology, who was charged in 2006 with securities fraud and other financial crimes. While out on bail, Alexander transferred millions of dollars overseas and fled to Namibia, a nation that has no extradition treaty with the U.S. He lived there for a decade before voluntarily returning to the U.S. in 2016 to face sentencing.

Another case is that of Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis, the defense contractor at the center of one of the largest bribery scandals in U.S. military history. Francis, who was in his late 60s, was granted house arrest pending trial on the grounds that he was being treated for kidney cancer. However, while awaiting sentencing, he cut off his GPS ankle monitor in September 2022 and fled the country. Authorities later captured him in Venezuela, but his escape underscored how older fugitives can exploit compassionate release during ongoing judicial proceedings.

The flights from justice of these individuals, as well as Simonian's (whose whereabouts remain unknown), highlight how gray-haired, white-collar criminals with the financial resources to do so can evade justice just as easily as their younger counterparts.

Update:  28 March 2025 Journalists with The Art Newspaper have spoken with Simonian's lawyer, Chloé Arnoux,  who, breaking her initial silence stated that the problematic dealer was now at an assisted living facility near his family in Hamburg.   In another article Arnoux is quoted as saying "He was not notified in a language he understands that there was an appeal against his release."

No mention was made however explaining why she failed to explain this to her client given she would have been privy to the Court's decision as Simonian's counsel, or why, up until now he had not obeyed the French ruling to return to prison to await his trial. 

The artefact, measuring 13.7 centimeters in diameter, was discovered by a local metal detectorist in the municipality of Peraleda de la Mata, in Cáceres, Spain in 2007.  The individual who unearthed the piece initially reported the find to the regional government of Extremadura and even took a photograph of it still freshly covered in dirt.  However, soon after, the individual withdrew the medallion from the market, refused to cooperate with authorities, and its whereabouts became unknown.

What followed was a series of events that eventually resulted in the Spanish Civil Guard’s Central Operational Unit (UCO), U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New York District Attorney's Office to formally lead to the object's recovery. 

Sometime after its disappearance, according to the New York District Attorney's Office, the medallion surfaced in the possession of the Barcelona-based antiquities dealer Félix Cervera Bea of Galería F. Cervera.   After that, it was smuggled out of Spain and purchased by Geneva's based Phoenix Ancient Art, where it was circulated publicly to international buyers. 

By 2010, the object was published, in a cleaned and restored state, in a Phoenix Ancient Art catalogue which listed the object with the following provenance: 

Ex Spanish Private Collection, collected ca. 1960, 

While vague provenance omitting a Barcelona dealer is not unusual in the art world, the date given for the purported Spanish collection ownership is completely incongruent to the one recorded with the authorities in the Spanish municipality.  Who, or what, if anything, was provided to Hicham and Ali Aboutaam to seemingly justify this false collection pedigree has not been publicly disclosed. 

By at least 2021,  the medallion had also been published to the Phoenix Ancient Art's website, where the dealers in question advertised an asking price of $210,000.   

The provenance on the webpage again did not match the discovery date of this piece in Spain, and instead stated:

The publication of this article came to the attention of the Dirección General de Bibliotecas, Archivos y Patrimonio Cultural of Extremadura who in turn alerted the Spanish Civil Guard’s UCO, a specialised division within the Guardia Civil responsible for the investigation and prosecution of the most serious forms of crime and organised crime.  The GC then reached out to US law enforcement.

When questioned as part of this case, Phoenix Ancient Art provided an invoice linking the silver medallion to the Catalan dealer, however, Spanish officials noted that no export permit had ever been requested or obtained for the object then being offered for purchase through the New York gallery.  Under Spanish law, artefacts removed from the country without a valid permit automatically become the property of the Spanish State. 

As a result of the following international investigation, involving the Spanish government, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the New York District Attorney's Office - Manhattan's Antiquities Trafficking Unit, and the Guardia Civil UCO Historical Heritage section, the owners of Phoenix Ancient Art agreed to voluntarily relinquish the artefact, indicating in doing so that they had purchased it as part of an "old collection of Spanish art."

On March 21, 2025, after 18 years, U.S. authorities officially handed over the long lost medallion to their Spanish counterparts, in a ceremony in New York.  On hand were Captain Juan José Águila, head of the Historical Heritage section of the UCO, Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, head of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the New York District Attorney’s Office, and Marta de Blas, Consul General of Spain in New York.

The successful repatriation of the Visigothic medallion marks another milestone in the ongoing efforts by Spanish and international authorities to combat the illicit trade of cultural artefacts and to return stolen heritage to its rightful place.  The case also serves as an example of just how long it takes for smuggled artefacts to be identified and that information relayed onward to the right authorities who can work towards restitution.  It also shows how an object's true origins can be obscured by vague provenance statements which give no hints to unweary buyers that the piece they are considering purchasing, may have left its country of origin in contravention of the national law. 

When looted artefacts like this one do resurface—whether in a gallery, auction house, or academic publication—identifying them requires the expertise of scholars, investigators, and cultural heritage officials.  Their recovery is therefore rarely straightforward, and often demands a coordinated effort between law enforcement agencies, government authorities, and vigilant researchers across multiple countries who are often the first to spot an illicitly exported piece in circulation. 

This case also underscores the immense challenge it takes to monitoring countless sales catalogues, websites, and scholarly publications in the search for artefacts that have been illegally removed, especially when their collection history has been falsified along the way. 

NB:  This article has been updated on 25 March 2025 with facts released in the official New York District Attorney's Office - Manhattan press release on this restitution. 

Can you give us an introduction about yourself?

I’m honoured to be part of this interview and to share my journey in cultural heritage protection and the fight against the illicit trafficking of antiquities.  My background combines extensive experience in cultural heritage preservation with a strong focus on safeguarding archaeological sites and cultural assets in conflict zones.  Early in my career, I worked at the National Archaeological Museum of Aleppo and later at the Syrian Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM), where I engaged in efforts to protect heritage under various circumstances.

Over the years, I’ve collaborated with international organisations, including UNESCO, Europol, and the British Museum, as well as with law enforcement agencies on projects with the Italian Carabinieri TPC, and the Dutch National Police.  I also founded ArchaeologyIN, a social media network aimed at promoting cultural heritage awareness across ten countries.  This work remains close to my heart, particularly as we confront ongoing challenges to cultural heritage in the Middle East and North Africa region.

From Aleppo to Europe is quite a journey, can you tell us about that?

My journey into the world of cultural heritage protection began at the National Archaeological Museum of Aleppo.  I was fortunate to work at one of the region’s oldest and most prestigious institutions, which fuelled my passion for preserving Syria’s rich heritage.  My early days were filled with fieldwork, cataloguing artefacts, and collaborating with teams dedicated to archaeological research and preservation.  Later, I joined the Syrian Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums in Damascus, where my knowledge and experience in project management and international cooperation increased.

With the outbreak of conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa region and in response to the emergence of new challenges, I launched ArchaeologyIN, a platform designed to raise public awareness about the importance of cultural heritage.  Over time, my work extended beyond Syria to encompass the broader MENA region.  My research and collaborations have focused on mitigating the risks to cultural assets in conflict zones, working with global institutions such as UNESCO and ARCA.  Each step of this journey has deepened my understanding of the complex network behind the illicit antiquities trade and strengthened my resolve to protect what remains.

How did you get involved with ARCA?

My connection with ARCA started through a shared passion for combatting art crime and protecting cultural heritage.  I first learned about ARCA’s work through its extensive publications and network of experts.  When I attended their postgraduate program as a Minerva scholar ten years ago, it became clear that this was more than an academic experience—it was a community of professionals committed to making a difference.  The program’s unique approach to blending practical case studies with cutting-edge research inspired me to stay involved.  I was later invited to join as a lecturer, an opportunity I gladly accepted.  Teaching at ARCA allows me to engage with dedicated professionals and students who share a passion for protecting cultural heritage and disrupting the networks that traffic antiquities.

Can you tell us about the purpose of the your course?

This summer, I’ll be teaching Unravelling the Hidden Market of Illicit Antiquities, a course that offers participants a deep dive into the international trafficking of antiquities. We’ll explore case studies from the past 50 to 60 years, focusing on how the trade has evolved.

The course is designed to be both informative and interactive. We’ll begin with a historical overview of the illicit trade, then move on to key players in the market, from prominent dealers to auction houses, museums, and galleries. We’ll uncover the intricate network behind this shadowy trade by examining the roles of source, transit, and market countries.  Our sessions will include practical discussions on the legal and ethical challenges of repatriation and the level of proof required to secure a successful claim.

Participants can expect a mix of lectures and interactive discussions, giving them the tools to better understand and confront this global issue.

Tell us life when you are in Amelia

Amelia is a hidden gem in the heart of Umbria, Italy.  Nestled atop a hill, this charming medieval town offers a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life.  Narrow cobblestone streets wind through centuries-old buildings, leading to stunning views of the surrounding countryside.  Life in Amelia is peaceful yet vibrant, with a rich cultural history, making it the perfect setting for ARCA’s program.

For participants, Amelia becomes more than just a backdrop—it’s a place to immerse yourself in Italian culture, connect with fellow professionals, and reflect on the importance of preserving our shared heritage.

Can you tell us what makes ARCA's programmes special?

One of the most unique aspects of ARCA’s program is its emphasis on blending theoretical knowledge with real-world application.  Participants gain not only a deep understanding of the international art and antiquities crime landscape but also access to an extraordinary network of professionals.  This program creates an environment where scholars, law enforcement professionals, and cultural heritage experts from around the world come together to share insights and collaborate on solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in the field.

A highlight of the summer is The Amelia Conference – 2025, ARCA’s Annual Interdisciplinary Art Crime Conference, which will take place from June 20 to 22, 2025.  This conference is a rare opportunity for program participants to meet and engage with a wide range of experts in art crime and cultural heritage protection.  The conference offers participants the chance to learn from leading voices in the field, expand their professional networks, and gain practical insights that complement their studies.

By the time participants complete the program, they’re not only better equipped to address the complexities of art crime—they’re also part of a vibrant, global community dedicated to protecting cultural heritage.

If you could follow another professor's course, which one would it be? 

If I had the chance to take a course at ARCA, it would likely be “Discarded, Discovered, Collected: The Ethics of Antiquities Preservation and Publication” by Roberta Mazza.  This course offers invaluable insights into why are antiquities exchanged on the market and what drives price formation? It also covers grouond on what is special about antiquities with texts inscribed on them, and the sometimes vulnerable relationships between academics and actors in the art market who deal in this type of textual remains.

Do you have any advice for applicants and participants?

My advice for new participants is simple: embrace every opportunity this program offers.  Be curious, ask questions, and engage with the community.  The beauty of this program lies in its diversity—everyone brings a unique perspective to the table.

Also, take the time to explore Amelia and immerse yourself in its history and culture.  These experiences will enrich your understanding of cultural heritage in ways that go beyond the classroom.  Most importantly, remember that what you’re learning here has real-world implications. You’re joining a global effort to protect our shared history—an effort that is more important now than ever.

The Corporate Transparency Act was enacted in 2021. With the passing of the a bipartisan CTA, domestic entities created by a filing with a state secretary of state and foreign entities that registered to do business in the U.S. are required to submit Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) about the entities true owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network or FinCEN.  The Act aims to combat illicit financial activities, including money laundering, by preventing the misuse of anonymous shell companies and closed loopholes by requiring transparency in corporate structures, making it harder for criminals to hide behind front companies or offshore entities.

How It Helps Combat Money Laundering in the Art Market:

Identifying Beneficial Owners – The CTA required certain U.S. businesses to disclose their true owners (beneficial owners) to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This reduced the availability of anonymous shell companies which could be used to buy or sell high-value artworks as a way to launder money.

Closing Loopholes – The art market has long been an attractive space for criminals due to its anonymous transactions. By requiring transparency in corporate structures, the CTA made it harder for criminals, or sanctioned individuals, to hide behind front companies or offshore entities.

Enhancing Law Enforcement Investigations – With a registry of beneficial owners, law enforcement agencies could better trace illicit funds and investigate suspicious art transactions tied to money laundering, terrorism financing, or sanctions evasion.

Deterring Criminal Actors – Knowing that corporate ownership records are accessible to regulators and enforcement agencies created a deterrent effect, making it riskier for bad actors to use the art market for financial crimes.

Aligning with Global Anti-Money Laundering Efforts – The CTA brought the U.S. closer to international AML standards, reinforcing Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations that called for greater transparency in high-value transactions, including art.

Recent Developments Under the Trump Administration:

On 2 March 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department, with endorsement of President Donald Trump's administration, announced that FinCEN will not take action against companies that miss BOI reporting under the CTA until further notice, suspending penalties and fines and that revisions to the deadline and reporting requirements are on the way.  This decision effectively halts the enforcement of the act's requirements, with plans to seek public feedback on potential modifications to the BOI reporting rules later in the year. 

Less than 24 hours after the Treasury Department's announcement, Judge Robert Jonker of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan declared beneficial ownership information reporting requirements unconstitutional and granting summary judgment to the Small Business Association of Michigan finding the Corporate Transparency Act violates the Fourth Amendment which prohibits unreasonable search.

After the announcements anticorruption and financial transparency advocates in the US and Europe were dismayed by the decision.

Implications for Money Laundering in the Art Market:

As mentioned above, the art market has historically been susceptible to money laundering due to high-value transactions and a lack of close financial oversight. The suspension of BOI reporting enforcement may have severe implications:

Increased Anonymity: Without mandatory BOI disclosures, individuals operating in bad faith can more easily use anonymous entities to conduct art transactions, making it challenging to trace the true ownership of artworks and by proxy the transfer of funds from one geographic region to another as works of art are bought and sold internationally. 

Regulatory Gaps: The lack of enforcement creates loopholes that will be exploited for illicit financial activities within the art market. 

Challenges for Law Enforcement: The absence of BOI data hampers the ability of authorities to investigate and prosecute transnational money laundering cases involving art transactions.

In 2020 two Russian oligarchs Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, who are close to President Vladimir P. Putin, exploited the opaqueness of the art world to buy high-value art.  Bypassing U.S. sanctions, a report by the U.S. Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations stated that the brothers purchased of works at auction houses and through private art dealers in New York totalling $18.4 million in value after the pair came under United States sanctions in 2014.

In April 2023 Nazem Ahmad, a collector, was accused by U.S. authorities of being a key financial supporter of Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based organisation designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. government. His indictment alleged that Ahmad circumvented U.S. sanctions, placed on him in 2019, by operating through a network of businesses to obscure multimillion-dollar transactions involving art and diamonds. Additionally, eight other individuals faced charges in connection with the case.

Eric Allouche, whose Allouche Gallery did business with Ahmad stated he had no clue he was dealing with an entity affiliated with the Lebanese collector, indicating that his American-owned gallery dealt with a representative of an entity who he knew to be someone who had bought art previously from artists he handles. 

While the stated aim in the suspension of enforcement and potential repeal of this financial transparency law is purported to be to reduce the regulatory burdens on American-owned  businesses, weakening the CTA simply reapplies the veil of secrecy which the CTA had sought to remove.  If repealed, or left unenforced, it will again enable the concealment of identities, making it easier to clean dirty money through art transactions, and making art world an increasingly elastic haven for hiding criminal transactions. 

By:  Lynda Albertson

In the months leading up to the start of the programmes, this year’s lecturers are being interviewed about their courses and teaching with ARCA in Italy.  In this interview we meet Dr. Saskia Hufnagel, a Visiting Professor at Queen Mary, a Professor at the University of Sydney Law School and Co-Director of the Sydney Institute of Criminology. Her research concerns global law enforcement cooperation, transnational and comparative criminal justice and art crime. She lectures on the Art, Business and Law LLM (CCLS).  Her particular interests are international and regional legal patterns of cross-border policing as well as the detection, investigation and prosecution of art crimes in the UK, Germany and Australia. Saskia is a qualified German legal professional and accredited specialist in criminal law.

Can you tell us something about your background?

I started off as a German Criminal Lawyer in a little town close to the Dutch border and in my practice I got very interested in cross-border crime and law enforcement dealing with it.  As luck would have it, I received a scholarship funded jointly by the European Commission and the Australian National University to pursue a PhD in the area of international law enforcement cooperation.  After my PhD, I spent some time as a researcher in Queensland and then moved to Queen Mary University of London to teach criminal law, policing, and comparative criminal justice.  In 2023 I was offered a Professorship in Australia and am now teaching and researching at the University of Sydney Law School.

And how did you get involved with ARCA? 

After I had finished my PhD, one of my examiners, Prof Duncan Chappell, asked me whether I would write with him about a German forger's case (Beltracchi) that also included international law enforcement challenges and, at the time, a lot of the reports on it were mainly available in German.  This is how I got into art crime and visited ARCA for the first time in 2011.  

It was such a great multidisciplinary hub for art crime research and it was so exciting to be exchanging ideas with both academics and practitioners specialising in fields much more interesting than my own, such as archaeology, art history, criminology, economics, forensic sciences and countless others.  People were so friendly and welcoming and happy to work even with boring lawyers that in the past 14 years, I only missed two of the conferences.

What is the purpose of the course you are teaching this summer?

My part of the teaching is a necessary evil as knowing the legal foundations of cultural heritage law is really important for many areas of art crime research.  I will go through the international legal set up of cultural property protection with students, discuss the differences between such protection in times of war and peace, look at the protection of moveable and immoveable cultural heritage and go through some basics of criminal law comparatively between various jurisdictions to highlight criminal law issues in relation to fraud, theft, vandalism, money laundering, tax-, import- and export-offences and many other crimes.

What is it like in Amelia?

Amelia is like a picture book Italian village with wonderful restaurants, bars and shops. The people are very friendly and forgiving with silly foreigners like me who do not speak a word of Italian. The longer you stay in Amelia, the more you will love it!

What is so special about this program?

There is no other program like ARCA.  University programs will situate a course mainly within one discipline, so you rarely get the same variety of interdisciplinary knowledge taught within this program elsewhere.  Also, ARCA has contacts to some of the most knowledgeable academics and practitioners in the field and brings them together from all around the world to teach the programme.

Which course would you like to follow yourself?

I would love to do Lynda Albertson’s course and discover more about data sets and data interpretation and how to harness art crime databases! Students were always gushing about it and telling me about all the possibilities for research they discovered in her course. It made me so jealous!

Any advice for the participants that come to Amelia?

Work hard and play hard! Amelia is a once in a lifetime opportunity to study with a very diverse group of students, people you would otherwise never – or not very likely – meet in your life. Make friends, support each other studying, have fun, enjoy the wide variety of teachers and subjects and take home a great deal of knowledge and a new little family.

In closing I would add that Dr. Hufnagel has co-edited a marvellous book in the field titled The Palgrave Handbook on Art Crime featuring articles from many people working in this important field.  If you would like to learn with her directly, there is still time to apply for the ARCA program and speak with her directly this summer. 

By:  Edgar Tijhuis

By Edgar Tijhuis*

This year, ARCA’s Post Lauream I on Art and Antiquities Crime will be held from 23 May through 20 July 2025, followed by ARCA’s Post Lauream II in Acquisition & Interpretation of Cultural Property. Both programs can be taken separately or together and are held in the beautiful heart of Umbria in Amelia, Italy. 

In the months leading up to the start of the programmes, this year’s lecturers are being interviewed about their courses and teaching with ARCA in Italy. In this interview we meet Dorit Straus, who is a specialist in art insurance and an independent art and insurance advisor. Previously, Dorit Straus was Vice President and Worldwide Specialty Fine Art Manager for Chubb & Son, a division of Federal Insurance Company and member of the Board of Directors of AXA Art Americas Corporation.

Can you tell us something about your background?

I am originally from Israel - I come from a musical family- my father was from Vienna and was a child prodigy studying violin with the great violinist Bronislaw Huberman.  When the Nazis came to power Bronislaw Huberman in 1936 founded what is today the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and brought some of the best musicians from Europe to what was then the British controlled Mandatory Palestine - my father was among those musicians that Huberman saved and brought to the orchestra. 

All told Huberman saved over 1000 musicians and their families from the Nazis.  My father met my mother in Israel because her three brothers were also in the orchestra, and my father became the concertmaster of the orchestra, so my childhood was full of music and  I met many of the most famous musicians who came to perform in Israel. 

I used to go to concerts and take my autograph book with me - I have autographs from musicians like Arthur Rubenstein, Leonard Bernstein, Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, Pablo Casals, and many many more. Although I studied piano and still play today, mostly chamber music, I pursued a different vocation - I studied Middle Eastern archeology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and participated in digs at Hazor with professor Yigael Yadin noted for his work on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the excavations conducted at the Judean desert rock-fortress of Masada.

I came to the US in 1970 and worked at several museums including the Jewish Museum in NY and the Peabody Museum of ethnology at Harvard University at Cambridge Mass.  Some years later I switched to a business career with Chubb  group of Insurance companies where I trained as a property and casualty underwriter Although Chubb did insure fine art, at the time there was no specialisation in that area, so eventually I created a Fine Art specialty within the company, as well as a special program for museums and cultural institutions.

And how did you get involved with ARCA?

I came to the attention of Noah Charney who was organising a conference at Cambridge University about art and crime as an academic subject and he invited me to speak,  which I did. Some years later when he created ARCA's in person training programming,  he invited me to come and teach a course about art and crime and its implications for the insurance industry and I have been teaching this course for over 12 years now.

What is the purpose of the course you are teaching this summer?

Many private art collectors and museums are insured - while many are not - in either case there are so many misconceptions about how insurance is purchased, what is covered and what isn't etc.  The purpose of the course is to explain the whole process through actual case studies and show how the insurance industry is a major participant working in the art trade. 

Any advice for the participants in your course?

At least in my course, I like to have heavy class participation - I realise that most people don't have any experience in insurance and so I tell everyone that there are no stupid questions.

What is special about ARCA's programmes?

ARCA offers an opportunity to learn from real practitioners in the art world about  their area of expertise.  Small class size allows for meaningful discussion and networking.  Also the participants come from all over the world and this affords more opportunities for different world views, as well as consensus building about the issues in are important within the art world.

What is it like in Amelia?

Amelia is a charming picturesque town perched up in the hills surrounded by Neolithic walls.  It's quiet and very restful, away from the hustle bustle of big cities like Rome - yet its within an easy train ride to Rome and by car to other important towns like Assisi, Orvieto, Perugia, etc..

Which course would you like to follow yourself?

Marc Masurovsky's Provenance course is definitely one that I am interested in.  

_________

NB:  Late Applications are being accepted for both summer programs.  For a detailed prospectus and application materials or for general questions about this postgraduate program please contact us at: programmes [at] artcrimeresearch.org

*Edgar Tijhuis serves as the Academic Director at ARCA. He is responsible for the postgraduate certificate program and has taught criminology modules within the ARCA program since ARCA’s start in 2009.

The museum, which has featured the bronze in its collection since 1986, had challenged the order in court, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to prove the statue had been illegally exported.  In their lawsuit, the museum claimed that the headless sculpture, controversially named The Emperor as Philosopher, probably Marcus Aurelius, then renamed Draped Male Figure, had been lawfully acquired by the museum and that New York District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg’s office in Manhattan has no legal authority to seize it.  

In its prior federal filing, Cleveland Museum of Art v. District Attorney of New York County, New York (1:23-cv-02048),  Cleveland had opposed the return of this statue contending that its former curator Arielle P. Kozloff (Herrmann) believed that the Philosopher did not come from Bubon, and that any previously stated connection between Bubon and the Philosopher was mere conjecture, statements which completely contradict the museum's earlier findings. 

Vol. 74, No. 3, Mar., 1987 The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art

After its purchase, the Museum was so proud of its acquisition of unknown origin that it dedicated its entire its March 1987 edition of The Bulletin of The Cleveland Museum of Art to the statue and highlighted the bronze in a Year in Review exhibition.  Curator Kozloff wrote in the Introduction to that 62-page Bulletin that “[t]his entire issue of the Bulletin is devoted to the study of Cleveland’s newly acquired bronze.”  At page 133, she quoted English archaeologist and writer George Bean’s observations when he visited Bubon and described the difference at the site between his first visit in 1952 and his second visit in 1966:

“[T]he scene completely changed. The entire slope of the hill had recently been dug from top to bottom by the villagers in search of loot; their pits left hardly a yard of space between them. Of the ruins, such as they were, nothing now remains; but in the course of digging in the theater a large stone covered with writing was said to be found.” 

Kozloff also published photographs of her trip to Bubon, including one which she captioned “Figure 3. The photograph depicts the extent of the looting: giant holes scar the landscape and fragments of stone walls can be seen jutting out of the pits.”  Kozloff also included another photograph to illustrate the find spot of the looted statues:

On a longitudinal axis leading to the northeast (nearly parallel to the axis of the “agora”) from the theater are two structures, now pits, about 2 meters deep and mostly filled in with debris (Figure 3). The smaller of the two was pointed out by an Ibecik native as “the museum” where eight large statues were found. Our guide’s arm gestures indicated that the sculptures were found tumbled together, face down in the earth. Our guide remembered only human figures being unearthed and reported a quantity significantly less than what is claimed for the site.

Effectively, Kozloff admitted, in CMA’s own official publication, that the Sebasteion had been heavily ravaged “by the villagers in search of loot” between 1952 and 1966—all while trumpeting CMA’s newly acquired statue had originated from this very site.

At the time of its celebratory exhibit, the Cleveland Museum of Art issued a statement that it would be exhibited their new bronze with "one other sculpture supposedly found with it, a bronze bust of a lady, now in the Worcester (Massachusetts) Art Museum."  That identified object as already been returned by the New York District Attorney's Office, making it all the more outrageous, that on one hand the museum admitted to the statue's origins from Bubon, while in 2023 foot-dragging against the the realities they themselves had fully acknowledged years earlier. 

Today, the CMA formally filed a Notice of Dismissal Under FRCP 41(a)(1), electing to drop its opposition of the statue's seizure.  This now paves the way for the artefact's eventual return to its country of origin.  In opting to dismiss, the museum issued a statement published in the New York Times that the decision was predicated on the basis of scientific study, which only now allowed the museum to be “able to determine with confidence that the statue was once present at the site.”

Over the last several years, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office Antiquities Trafficking Unit, headed by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos has been actively involved in the repatriation of stolen artefacts, including many bronzes identified as having been looted from the ancient city of Bubon in Türkiye.  In recent years, prosecutors and analysts with the ATU have worked closely with academics studying the bronzes and the Turkish authorities in order to seize, where possible and in accordance with the law, antiquities looted from this ancient site that were laundered through the black market.

By May 1967, law enforcement authorities from the Republic of Türkiye had uncovered their first lead which would help identify where the looted statues came from. A large, ancient bronze statue was found hidden in a looters house in the village of Ibecik, located in the mountainous region of the Gölhisar district, in the southern province of Burdur, less than 100 kilometers from the southwest Turkish coast.

This initial investigation, coupled with studies by Turkish archaeologist Jale İnan on behalf of the museum in Burdur, as well as notes gathered and seized from a local treasure hunter during investigations, helped to establish the find spot for the CMA bronze and other statues which once stood on the summit and slopes of Dikmen Tepe within the eastern Roman Empire city of Bubon.

According to the ancient Greek geographer Strabo, the city of Bubon formed a tetrapolis with its neighbouring cities of Cibyra, Oenoanda and Balboura.  Culturally diverse, at its pinnacle its inhabitants are said to have spoken as many as four languages: Greek, Pisidian, Solymian and Lycian. 

Travellers to Bubon as late as the mid-19th century described finding a walled acropolis, a small theatre of local stone, and the remains of tombs, temples, and other large structures in what remained of the ancient city.  Few of these survive today.  Decimated by a large-scale looting operation conducted during the mid-20th century, the unprotected ancient city's movable cultural heritage fell victim to poverty and art market greed, with much of what had survived throughout history, being dug up and hauled away for profit.

The Sebasteion at Boubon

In 1967, the archaeological museum of Burdur undertook the first legal excavation at what remained of Bubon.  During these emergency excavations, where some of the explored sites were reburied after exploration to afford more protection, site archaeologists documented a Sebasteion near the centre of the terrace close to the Agora.  This complex is believed to have been devoted to the worship of the imperial cult, honouring members of the Imperial family.  It is thought to have been in use for a period of over two centuries from the 1st to the middle of the 3rd century CE. 

Inside this Sebasteion, archaeologists discovered two inscribed podiums along the north and the east walls of the room, as well as four free-standing bases along the west wall.  Here, statues of emperors and members of the Imperial household were once on display.

The majority of the dedications found at the Sebasteion date the cult sanctuary from the half century beginning with the joint reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (161-168 CE) to the ending of the sole reign of Caracalla (211-217 CE).  Unsurprisingly, by the time archaeologists set about documenting the site, only one single headless statue remained.  

All the others had been clandestinely excavated and illicitly exported out of the country.

As part of this documentation, Jale İnan assigned names to seven of the missing bronze statues, based on seven of the 14 dedicatory inscriptions found in situ at the Sebasteion.  According to the researcher's reconstruction, patrons or visitors entering this room in the middle of the 3rd century CE, would have seen bronze statues of Nerva, Poppaea Sabina, Lucius Verus, Commodus, Septimius Severus, and lastly, Marcus Aurelius who would have stood on a podium or plinth facing the entrance.

One of three inscriptions discovered during J. İnan's excavation, on stones forming the top course of the north pedestal (blocks E 10 and 11), documented in his 1990 excavation notes, reads:

[Μ.Αυρήλιο]ν Άντωνεϊνον

The Emperor as Philosopher Image Credit: Cleveland Museum of Art

At the time of sculpture's purchase, the CMA's press releases and follow-up publications openly admitted that the bronze was part of a “group of Roman bronze figures and heads, believed to have come from Turkey” that represented various emperors and empresses, which had been created for a structure honouring the imperial cult in the mid-2nd century.  All details which perfectly aligned with the details of the statues which once filled the Sebasteion in Bubon.

Before mandating the statue's seizure, DANY's Antiquities Trafficking Unit, with the assistance of officials from the Republic of Türkiye, were able to locate and interview one of the individuals who actually looted and smuggled this statue and determined that the bronze had been smuggled into Switzerland by Robert Hecht then circulated onward via Charles Lipson, first via the exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and later loaned long term to the Metropolitan Museum of Art via a private collector before ultimately being purchased by the Cleveland museum.

Yet, despite the evidence presented at the time of its seizure and its earlier stance that the object had been lawfully acquired, the museum somewhat lamely cited only the forensic evidence in its late-in-coming decision to relinquish the Marcus Aurelius statue.  It indicated that analysis of soil samples taken from within the body of the statue, as well as lead from a plug in its foot used to attach the statue to a plinth, which matched evidence obtained from the Sebasteion in Bubon proving the bronze had once stood there.  

While these laboratory findings provide the scientific nail in the coffin, proof linking this beautiful statue to its original site, this testing merely strengthens the preponderance of evidence accumulated in Manhattan's preexisting case for restitution.  The evidence of the object's trafficking from Türkiye, didn't rest on scientific analysis, which in this case, was miraculously made possible because the find spot remained relatively undisturbed.  

The case was weighted on multiple elements, including the first-hand testimony of farmers who told investigators that men from a nearby village found the bronzes buried on a hillside, beginning in the late 1950s and year by year, working in teams, removed the artefacts from the Sebasteion, many of which were sold to “American Bob,” absence of legal export permits and then unlawfully smuggled out of Türkiye.

Lest we forget, in 1962, the infamous American ancient art dealer Robert "Bob" Hecht was detained in Türkiye after he was seen inspecting ancient coins returning to Istanbul on a flight from heavily plundered Izmir, the same city where the intermediary dealer in this case operated.  As a result of that incident, Hecht was declared persona non grata in the country.  A friend of notorious Turkish antiquities smugglers, such as Fuat Üzülmez and Edip Telliağaoğlu, Hecht mediated the purchase of a large number of ancient artefacts which were smuggled from Turkey, before he turned his sights on Italy.

To date the ATU has restituted 14 antiquities, valued at almost $80 million, looted from the ancient site of Bubon. This Marcus Aurelius, headless though he be, is the 15th, and one I am sure the citizens of Türkiye will warmly welcome home.  

In closing, it will be interesting to see the CMA's own published statement as to why it ultimately elected to close its Federal folly to keep an obviously looted statue in its collection, rather than come to terms with what was already widely known for more than a decade.  I suspect they will mention their scholar's “subsequent research,” and her change of heart as to the statue's origins. 

But before they do so, I would remind ARCA's readers that the CMA's now-retired curator, Arielle Kozloff Herrmann, of Shaker Heights, who led the purchase of this Marcus Aurelius bronze in 1986, had longstanding interactions with problematic dealers in the ancient art market.  Those include the following, who have repeatedly tied to the illicit antiquities trade: 

Robert Hecht, who ravaged Turkey and Italy and who Kozloff thanked for information in the bulletin's acknowledgments on this purchase.

Sicilian Gianfranco Becchina, who she and her husband, John Herrmann, corresponded and met with.  

Edoardo Almagià, who currently has an outstanding arrest warrant in New York and who she was introduced to by the problematic Princeton curator, Michael Padgett. 

Edward Merrin the dealer who sold this statue to the CMA and whom she later worked with,

Lawrence Fleischman, George Zakos, Brian Tammas Aitken, and Robert Haber.   

Look into any of these fellows, most of whom have been featured on ARCA's blog, and then tell me if you think Arielle's latter indecision was unbiased, without motivation, and should have been a deciding factor in the museum's filings against this forfeiture. 

By:  Lynda Albertson