The U.S. government has secured the forfeiture of 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts illegally smuggled into the United States, including a limestone statue valued at approximately $6 million, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore said Monday.

A U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a default judgment completing the forfeiture.

The smuggled items include amulets, stone figurines, a vase, and an Old Kingdom Limestone Funerary Statue that likely originated from royal cemeteries in Saqqara or Giza near ancient Memphis in present-day Egypt.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered and seized the artifacts at several international airports between August 2020 and April 2021.

How were the artifacts discovered?

CBP identified the artifacts while inspecting parcel

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