U.S. Attorney Announces Return Of Two Looted 8th Century Sculptures To The Republic Of Indonesia

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the return of two antiquities which were stolen from the Republic of Indonesia as part of an organized looting network and sold by antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford to an American collector (the “Collector”).  In or about late 2021, the Collector voluntarily relinquished a total of 34 Cambodian and Southeast Asian antiquities purchased from Latchford.  The two antiquities were returned to Indonesia today at a ceremony celebrating their repatriation at the Indonesian consulate.

“Today, we celebrate the return of Indonesia’s cultural heritage to the Indonesian people,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “This Office is committed to thwarting the illicit trafficking of looted and stolen art and antiquities.  We will continue to partner with HSI to end callous profiteering from stolen artworks of cultural significance, and we thank the collector of these works for their voluntary safe return.  It is with great pleasure that we send these artworks on the final leg of their journey home.”

The antiquities returned to Indonesia today are two 8th Century standing bronze Buddhist sculptures depicting Avalokiteshvara, approximately 16 and 20 inches tall.  The sculptures were illicitly removed from archeological sites in Indonesia by a team of looters decades ago and then sold to Latchford, who was based in Bangkok.  Between 2003 and 2007, Latchford sold these and other Southeast Asian antiquities to the Collector.  Over the years, Latchford lied to and withheld information from the Collector to conceal that the pieces were stolen.  The two bronze sculptures returned to Indonesia were the subject of a civil forfeiture action filed in this District, United States v. A Late 12th Century Bayon-Style Sandstone Sculpture Depicting Eight-Armed Avalokiteshvara, et al., 22 Civ. 229 (JMF), and identified as “Sculpture-12” and “Sculpture-27” in the civil forfeiture complaint. 

Since 2012, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), has successfully investigated, identified, and repatriated dozens of stolen and illegally imported Cambodian and other Southeast Asian antiquities in the possession of individuals and institutions in the United States.  Latchford was previously indicted in the Southern District of New York in 2019 for orchestrating a multi-year scheme to sell looted Cambodian and other Southeast Asian antiquities on the international art market.  The Indictment was later dismissed due to Latchford’s death.  

Mr. Clayton thanked HSI for its outstanding work to recover and repatriate the stolen and looted cultural property. 

This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit.