Twenty-nine Greek antiquities, products of smugglers from Macedonia, Epirus, Central Greece, the Cyclades and Crete, which had entered the U.S. through the criminal networks of illicit trafficking in cultural goods, were turned over by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni to be returned to the land of their birth, the place and the people who created them.
They include marble and bronze figurines of people and animals, marble, silver, bronze and earthenware vessels, gold and bronze jewelry, parts of a fresco that were in the Shelby White collection and an extremely rare gold coin that refers to the day of March that Julius Caesar was assassinated, which was seized at an auction house.
These antiquities cover a wide temporal spectrum from prehistoric to Roman times.
The items were seized through the actions of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, and specifically Attorney General Alvin Bragg, New York Department of Homeland Security and Officer Ivan J. Arvelo, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos and his staff. The Department of Culture's Division of Documentation and Protection cooperated with the Attorney General's Office - again in this case - and provided archaeological documentation and all available information to facilitate their work.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, said during the ceremony, "The great successes achieved by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in recent years in the fight against antiquities led to the repatriation of hundreds of illegally trafficked antiquities to their countries of origin, including Greece. Once again, Matthew Bogdanos and his team worked closely with the Ministry of Culture, whose relevant directorate provided archaeological documentation and all available information to facilitate the prosecution's work. On behalf of the Hellenic Republic, I would like to thank them wholeheartedly and congratulate them all for their contribution to the investigation and, ultimately, to the successful conclusion of this case.They succeeded in fighting the illegal international criminal networks, whose action alters the identity of the peoples, as it cuts the archaeological findings from their contexts and turns them from evidence of the history of the peoples, into simple works of art. Greece, a country that has suffered great damage from antiquarian actions over the years, has as its first priority the restoration of its cultural heritage and seeks every alliance in this direction. The relationship of trust and close cooperation that has developed between the leaders of the Manhattan Prosecutor's Office and the Greek Ministry of Culture fills us with confidence that many more successes will follow."
Homeland Security Agency Director Ivan J. Arvelo said that "the antiquities trade is a billion-dollar business in which thieves and smugglers profit from cultural heritage. Greece, considered the cradle of Western civilization, is particularly vulnerable to this type of criminal activity. These valuable works of art, dating back to around 5,000 BC, were an important part of life in the ancient world. We are honored to work with our partners today to return this valuable cultural heritage to the Greek people."
New York Deputy District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos pointed to the daily efforts he and his colleagues make to combat the illicit trade in cultural property:
"The Secretary of Culture, Lina Mendoni, has added two outstanding members to our team, Ms. Papageorgiou and Ms. Vlachogiannis. We all work together, long hours, in the middle of the night and weekends, like a family, like a good Greek family, and we passionately discuss who will be the next target because we all have the same vision. We want to return the cultural heritage to where it was born and where it belongs. As archaeologists and other scientists study these ancient artifacts and wonder how they were found, this particular group will work together, as one man, for the next goal. It's only fair that this team celebrates today."
