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Three artifacts looted in Peru and smuggled into the United States including two pieces of pre-Columbian pottery seized from a Utahn were returned Wednesday to the Peruvian general consul during a ceremony in Denver.
The repatriated items were a Chancay statue from A.D. 1200-1450 and a funerary vessel from A.D. 100-1532 that a Salt Lake City area man admitted he had taken illegally from Peru, according to Andrew Muñoz, a public affairs for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Muñoz said the third artifact, a Lambayeque-style vessel from A.D. 800-1300, was seized in Tennessee during an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The value of the items on the open market ranges from about $300 to $1,000, Muñoz said. But because these artifacts no longer will be available for sale, he added, they are priceless.
During the past several years, HSI has seized looted Peruvian artifacts smuggled into United States in four separate investigations. Another 22 artifacts were returned Wednesday in ceremonies in Boston and San Antonio.
"The cultural treasures returned today do not belong in the hands of any private collection or one owner," Thomas Winkowski, acting ICE director, said in a written statement. "They belong to the people of Peru, where they can be displayed and serve as a reminder of Peru's rich cultural heritage."
HSI Salt Lake started an investigation after receiving information from Tel Aviv that a U.S. citizen suspected of attempting to smuggle antiquities out of Israel had been arrested.
After the man was released and returned to Utah, he mentioned to HSI agents interviewing him that he previously had purchased artifacts in Peru and Costa Rica, according to ICE. Those items, which included the statue and funerary vessel, were seized in an administrative forfeiture proceeding, meaning no criminal charges were filed against the man.
According to ICE, the United States has returned more than 7,150 artifacts to 27 countries since 2007.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC