A man who smuggled nearly 600 antiquities looted from ancient Egyptian crypts into the US has been jailed for six months.
Ashraf Omar Eldarir, 52, was arrested at JFK airport in January 2020 after police discovered 590 valuable items in his luggage, including gold amulets and wooden tomb model figures with linen garments dating back to 1900 BCE.
He claimed the goods he was carrying were worth $300 (£277). After opening three of his checked suitcases, officers unwrapped artefacts still covered in loose sand and dirt, raising suspicions that they had recently been excavated.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella, who announced the sentence, said: “The defendant looted Egypt’s cultural treasures and lied to US Customs about them as part of a web of deception he spun to illegally fill his pockets with cash.
“Those who steal cultural treasures of other countries and smuggle them into the United States should know that they will be held accountable for their crimes.”
Eldarir, an Egyptian-born naturalised US citizen, described as “a prolific trafficker of ancient Egyptian artefacts” by the US Attorney’s Office, pleaded guilty to four counts of smuggling in February. He was sentenced to six months in prison on Wednesday.
Between April 2019 and January 2020, he smuggled ancient artefacts into the US at least four times. He used fake documentation stating that the items weren’t stolen, allowing him to resell the valuables at American auction houses. During his arrest, officers found a kit of materials used to fabricate the documentation of the items.
William Campos, the assistant US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, told the court that thieves had sent Eldarir videos of the objects from the sites “as if they were K-Mart”.
An investigation following his arrest also led to the recovery of other illegally imported artefacts that had been forfeited.
Francis J. Russo, Director of Field Operations for US Customs and Border Protection, said: “In this case, the profit-driven defendant lied during border inspection to conceal priceless antiquities, but the vigilance of CBP officers uncovered the truth. Every day, our officers work tirelessly to protect both our security and the cultural heritage of nations worldwide, and while doing so, uncover other sophisticated smuggling plots.
“Strong partnerships with agencies like HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are critical to this mission, and CBP remains committed to preserving history while enforcing the law.”
Earlier this month, Greek authorities arrested six people involved in an antiquities smuggling ring. They recovered 15 ancient oil lamps, 17 figurines or fragments, several ceramic vessels, and a marble sculpture believed to depict a child’s head.
