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In a new step to recover the Egyptian heritage smuggled abroad, U.S. authorities handed over 48 Egyptian artifacts to representatives of the Egyptian government during a ceremony held by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Los Angeles on Friday, following investigations that confirmed the items were illegally taken out of Egypt.

The FBI's Art Crime Team revealed that the 48 pieces were smuggled from Egypt, noting that the person suspected of being behind the original smuggling operation has died.

The recovered items included carved statues, amulets, funerary equipment, and other archaeological artifacts dating back to various periods of Egyptian history, including the Pharaonic, Roman, and Coptic eras.

Suspicious Possession Reveals the Journey of the Artifacts

The case began when the last person who possessed the items contacted the FBI after conducting research that raised questions about how the artifacts entered the United States.

Examinations and analyses conducted by investigators showed no records proving the legal export of the items from Egypt, reinforcing the conclusions regarding their smuggling.

During the ceremony for the return of the items, the Consul General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Los Angeles, Ambassador Dr. Hossam El-Din Ali, expressed his gratitude to the U.S. government for returning the artifacts.

He stated that these pieces represent an essential part of Egypt's history and cultural heritage, expressing his country’s happiness and pride in their recovery and return to their homeland.

Egyptian-American Agreement to Combat Artifact Smuggling

The recovery operation comes as part of the cooperation between Egypt and the United States in the field of cultural property protection, following an agreement signed by the two countries in 2016 regarding cultural property that imposes restrictions on the import of certain archaeological and ethnographic materials from Egypt into the United States.

The FBI explained that the agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the two countries to identify, seize, and return smuggled cultural property, as well as to encourage the legal exchange of artifacts for cultural, educational, and scientific purposes.

More than 5,000 Artifacts Returned to Egypt

The FBI's Art Crime Team has been working since its establishment in 2004 in response to the increasing crimes related to cultural property worldwide.

The team includes members stationed in various regions across the United States, including two members in Los Angeles, who have received specialized training in investigations related to artworks and cultural property.

According to the FBI, the team has collectively managed to recover over 20,000 pieces valued at more than one billion dollars.

In the past ten years, U.S. law enforcement agencies have returned more than 5,000 artifacts and cultural items to Egypt.

The FBI noted that some recovery operations end with legal proceedings and criminal prosecutions, while others may be dropped due to the expiration of legal time limits; however, this does not prevent the return of recovered items to the citizens of the country to which they belong.

The bureau urged those interested in purchasing artworks and cultural items to check its national stolen art file to ensure that the piece is not recorded as a stolen item before completing the purchase.