ROME, FEBRUARY 03 – On February 2, 2023, in New York, at the headquarters of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DAO), in the presence of Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, 14 valuable archaeological finds were returned to Italy which, over the of the last few decades, had ended up in the United States, sold by major international traffickers and brought back home by the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC) in collaboration with the New York Public Prosecutor’s Office and colleagues from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The finds, which will remain in New York until being repatriated by diplomatic expedition, belong to the Roman and Magno-Greek civilizations and can be dated between the 7th century BC and the 2nd century AD. The works, of inestimable historical-cultural value, were listed on the market for no less than 3 million dollars in total. The important recovery was achieved thanks to the collaboration between Italy and the USA in the sector, an area in which the Carabinieri dell’Arte and the District Attorney’s Office of New York have achieved cooperation of unparalleled effectiveness in the world. At the presentation of the find were the Consul General of Italy in New York, Dr. Fabrizio Di Michele, the Commander of the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Brigadier General Vincenzo Molinese, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Manhattan DAO, Colonel Matthew Bogdanos and the Special HSI Agent in Charge, Ivan J. Arvelo and the Director (CBP), Francis Russo. (HANDLE).
(ANSA)
