Chennai: The story of ‘famous in the world’ art reception ended on Monday when US homeland security arrested Neil Perry Smith, 58, in New York after extradition from London.
Smith was charged with the Manhattan District Prosecutor (New York County) because of the alleged role in the global antique trade ring that stole and smuggled a culturally significant relics from Asia, including India, and sold it to the New York Art Market.
The official press release issued by the Manhattan Assistant District Prosecutor and Senior Justice Advisor and Head of the Antiquities Item Trade Unit Matthew Bogdanos said Smith had been charged with having and restored 22 stolen pieces, worth more than $ 32 million (Rs 238 million).
“The Smith restoration hides the illegal origin of antiques so that the alleged Conspiracy Ringleader Subhash Kapoor can then sell it in the Madison Avenue-based gallery that is now closed, the art of the past,” said his release.
Interpol captured the Idol Smuggler Kapoor in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2011 and extradited him to India the following year.
He now lodged in Trichy’s prison in Tamil Nadu.
Smith was charged with the 29-count of the Supreme Court of the Supreme Court of New York with various kinds of ownership of the Curian property, Grand Larceny, conspiracy, and scheme for Defaud, said liberation.
Vijay Kumar from the Pride India project said that for decades Smith with a guise of recovery had helped and conspired with a legacy criminal by changing the stolen ‘murthis’.
Among Smith items allegedly restored including Shiva Nataraja and Uma Parvati were worth several crores rupees.
22 pieces stolen he was charged with owning and recovering from India, Cambodia, Thailand and Nepal.
He changed the colors of Sripuranthan Nataraja who was stolen (taken from Australia in 2014) by giving him a false farm patina and made a new hand for Palavoor Nataraja, taken in 2011, he said.
Smith, Kapoor and six other co-defendants were charged with October 2019 by the AntiQuities of the Manhattan Da Office trade unit and homeland security investigation U.S.
They investigated illegal groups in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, Myanmar, and other countries.
From 2011 to 2020, more than 2,500 items were traded by Kapoor and the network recovered.
“The total value of the restored pieces exceeded $ 143 million,” said the broadcast.
“Unfortunately, Wing Indian idol and Tamil Nadu did not follow up smith or lie in Hong Kong, which sent artifacts to Subhash Kapoor to London for restoration,” Vijay Kumar said.
“They never officially accused them or trying to investigate them.
We hope India to join the US in this case at least now,” he said.
The researchers said Smith and Restorer Richard Salmon based in Smith and Brooklyn were contracted by Kapoor to clean the stolen antiques and fix any defects, such as dirt, rust, or damage that might show looting or recent theft.
Smith restored the basis of many bronze relics stolen from temples in India after a smuggler deliberately broke them to facilitate prohibited removal of international sites and cross-borders.
After the restoration, Kapoor accommodates antiques in his shop or in one of the many storage units to be sold or sent.