MANHATTAN, NY – The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has returned 12 stolen antiquities, valued at over $9 million, to Lebanon.
Nine of these items were recovered as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into Georges Lotfi, a known antiquities trafficker.
The repatriation ceremony was attended by Lebanon’s Consul General in New York, Ambassador Abir Taha Audi, and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Acocella.
The items had been illegally kept in various locations, including apartments and museums.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations continue to collaborate on the investigation and repatriation of stolen artifacts.