via Vietnam Express, 13 September 2023: The family of indicted British antiquities smuggler Douglas Latchford has returned a stolen 7th-century Durga statue to Vietnam, following a long investigation by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and coordination with London police. More stories linked below.
The family of British antiquities smuggler Douglas Latchford handed over a 7th-century statue to Vietnam at a ceremony in London on Wednesday (local time).
The four-armed goddess Durga statue, two meters long and weighing 250 kg, was recognized by UNESCO as world heritage, and was stolen from the My Son Sanctuary in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Nam in 2008.
The handover is attributable to the long investigation by the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) in its efforts against antiquities trafficking, as well as the coordination between the agency and London police over the past time.
The ceremony saw the participation of Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.K. Nguyen Hoang Long and Minister Counsellor To Minh Thu, along with U.S. and British officials.
Source: Stolen 7th-century statue handed over to Vietnam – VnExpress International
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