In federal court in Brooklyn, Ashraf Omar Eldarir was sentenced to six months in prison for smuggling Egyptian antiquities into the United States through John F. Kennedy International Airport.
During the course of this investigation, more than 600 Egyptian artifacts were recovered after having been smuggled through Eldadir’s smuggling network. Eldarir previously pleaded guilty in February 2025 to four counts of smuggling.
“The defendant looted Egypt’s cultural treasures and lied to U.S. Customs about them as part of a web of deception he spun to illegally fill his pockets with cash,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “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. We commend our HSI and CBP partners for their diligent and important work in this case and look forward to repatriating to Egypt the recovered antiquities.”
“Safeguarding cultural heritage is an often-overlooked yet important aspect of border security, as smugglers frequently exploit similar vulnerabilities to transport stolen artifacts and other illicit goods,” stated CBP Director of Field Operations Russo. “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.”
As set forth in the indictment and in other court filings, Eldarir was a prolific trafficker of ancient Egyptian artifacts. On at least four separate occasions from April 2019 to January 22, 2020, Eldarir smuggled ancient Egyptian artifacts into the United States. Each time, Eldarir used fake provenances to sell those artifacts at U.S.-based auction houses. Provenances are documents reflecting the history of ownership and custody of artifacts, which are used to establish that the artifacts are genuine and that they were not illegally excavated or stolen.
On January 22, 2020, Eldarir, travelling from Egypt, arrived at JFK Airport and falsely declared to CBP that he was carrying goods valued at only $300. When CBP officers opened Eldarir’s three checked suitcases, they found the suitcases filled with 590 valuable artifacts that were bubble and foam-wrapped. When the wrapping was opened, loose sand and dirt spilled out of the packaging, indicating that the artifacts had been recently excavated. Among the items recovered by law enforcement officers were gold amulets from a funerary set and wooden tomb model figures with linen garments dating to approximately 1900 BCE. Eldarir was also in possession of a kit of materials used to fabricate documentation for the stolen items. Further investigation following Eldarir’s arrest at JFK Airport led to the recovery of additional illegally imported artifacts that have since been forfeited, along with the 590 artifacts seized at the time of Eldarir’s arrest.
Main Image: A looted sarcophagus lid that Ashraf Eldarir smuggled into the US. Photo: US Department of Justice