Twenty-nine illegally trafficked ancient artifacts, including 18 items that had ended up in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, were officially returned to Greece in a ceremony at the Greek consulate in New York this week.
The priceless objects, which range from the Neolithic period to the Hellenistic era, were recovered by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the New York District Attorney’s Office, led by Col. Matthew Bogdanos.
Nearly all of the items were confiscated from the Fortuna Fine Arts dealership in New York.
"Every repatriation of Greek antiquities is an extremely important event," Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in a statement, praising the D.A.'s office.
"Greece is now internationally recognized as a country that has placed the fight against the illegal trafficking of cultural goods… high on its political agenda."
The handover ceremony was attended by Greek consulate officials and marks the latest in a series of successful repatriations.
Mr. Bogdanos, who is of Greek descent, said his unit has recovered more than 160 valuable artifacts for Greece over the last 20 years, valued at more than $45 million.