Mumbai Crime: Indian heritage looter nabbed in Gamdevi

One of the seized sculpturesAfter a decade of India being robbed of its rare and ancient sculptures and artefacts worth billions from temples and sites the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence DRI Mumbai finally managed to nab Indianorigin US businessman Vijay Nanda believed to be a top global smuggler running an international syndicate dealing in precious antiques from South MumbaiSome of the stolen sculptures which the DRI seized from a godown in Byculla where Vijay Nanda had stashed them upHighlyplaced sources in the DRI told midday that Nanda who the agency suspects smuggled out and sold over 250 precious antiques and artefacts worth billions of rupees across the world in the last decade was on several Indian agenciesrsquo radar since longAlso Read Stolen ancient Jain Hindu statues worth 450000 seized in USNanda was living in the US for the last 30 years as a furniture and garment merchant He set a company lsquoSangam Importerrsquo in New York in 2010 and sold old furniture from across the world He also set up another company lsquoSage Mercantilersquo with both acting as fronts for his criminal activitiesDRI said Nanda was arrested on his arrival in India a few days ago a visit he had made to smuggle more sculptures outModus operandiHe is believed to have sold the sculptures in Korea Japan China and Hong Kong and European and Gulf countries He would deal in stolen or vandalised sculptures from various temples across eastern and southern India He would then legitimise them by forging Archaeological Survey of India ASI certificates and creating other fake documentsNanda would smuggle the sculptures out of India by concealing them in furniture or handicraft consignments and then sell them through auctions to art galleries private collectors and museumsHis syndicate has allegedly smuggled Gupta Era gold coins PostMauryan terracotta figurines Rajputana swords and daggers Chola bronzes and Tibetan statuesRaid seizuresDRI officers carried out searches at Nandarsquos house in Girgaum and a Byculla godown where he stored the stolen items recovering 11 sculptures and artefacts including six big sculptures believed to have been stolen from East and South India temples ldquoEach sculpture is believed to be worth crores of rupeesrdquo said an officerRead Story Australian PM returns 11th century stolen idols to ModiSources said DRI got important information on Nanda after scanning emails of his business associate Udit Jain who ran the Dindayalan syndicate and was arrested by the Chennai DRI recently in connection with smuggling of antiques and ancient paintingsShipment to Hong Kong en routeSources in DRI told midday that Nanda was in contact with a New Yorkbased suspect through emails one of which talks about the shipping of a big consignment of ancient Indian sculptures to Hong Kong The consignment of 13 sculptures that was sent to Hong Kong a few days ago is currently en routeA senior officer said all efforts are being made to trace the consignment and bring it back to India with the help of the relevant agenciesDRI officers added that valuation of seized antiques would be done by a committee formed by the ASIA senior officer said Nandarsquos arrest is important as it would lead them to the source of the stolen items and other important people active in the syndicate since long