Map of smuggled antiquities stolen from Egypt to John F. Kennedy Airport in the US | Official documents

In this investigation, Bab Masr reveals the smuggling routes that begin in the heart of Cairo, passing through Thailand and Hong Kong, before the Egyptian antiquities end up in the homes of collectors in Canada and the United States. The investigation is based on American documents, official testimonies, and customs seizure reports to map out one of the networks smuggling Egyptian antiquities. It begins with a doctor who carried artifacts in his suitcases, passes through shipping companies and forged ownership certificates, and ends with their sale at online auctions.

Smuggling through John F. Kennedy Airport

The name “John F. Kennedy Airport” has been in the news recently after a US court sentenced Egyptian doctor Ashraf Omar Al-Dareer to six months in prison for smuggling 600 Egyptian artifacts to the United States on flights from Cairo to New York.

But this is not the only case. Bab Masr obtained official investigation documents relating to the doctor himself, as well as papers from another case dating back to 2024 concerning the seizure of 14 other artifacts smuggled through John F. Kennedy Airport by others.

Four charges of smuggling antiquities

The five-year case ended with a ruling by US Judge Rachel B. Covenner against Egyptian doctor Ashraf Omar Ezzedine Al-Dareer, who was arrested in 2020 at John F. Kennedy Airport after 590 artifacts were seized from his luggage without official papers.

According to the American website Art News, Al-Zahir smuggled these pieces in 2019 and early 2020, including:

• A multicolored relief engraving.
• An ancient Roman limestone slab that was later sold at auction for $1,000.
• An ancient Roman limestone head sold at auction for $1,300.

The verdict came after he pleaded guilty in February to four charges related to smuggling Egyptian antiquities.

Frequent trips

Investigation documents indicate that Al-Zareer did not limit himself to these pieces. On September 20, 2018, he left John F. Kennedy Airport for Cairo and returned on December 4, 2018, on flight number MS985, carrying artifacts without filing customs declarations upon entering the United States.

How did the artifacts leave Egypt?

Investigations reveal that Al-Zirr communicated with people who had access to illegal excavation sites, including thieves and grave robbers. They sent him photos and videos of pieces for sale. He would then travel to Egypt to obtain them and offer them for sale at auctions such as “Taraqat al-Mira,” “Arte Primitivo,” and “Christie’s.”

Conversations with other individuals who offered him newly looted artifacts were found on his phone. He would sometimes respond with approval or rejection by placing an “x” mark. The phone also contained videos showing illegal excavation sites, ancient inscriptions, water pools, and even handwritten dates on papers inside these sites.

Who is Ashraf Omar al-Dareer?

The defense memorandum simply recounted details of the defendant’s life in Egypt and the United States as a naturalized citizen, including that he is an Egyptian doctor who graduated from Alexandria University’s Faculty of Medicine in 2001, specializing in surgery. He immigrated to the United States the following year to practice medicine. He married a woman named “Beatrice.” He gave up working in medicine due to her poor health and became a taxi driver.

One piece per bag

Official documents indicate that Al-Zirir used to smuggle one piece per trip in 2019. Before transporting about 590 artifacts at once in three bags in 2020. The US Attorney described the case as “the largest seizure of smuggled artifacts at John F. Kennedy Airport to date.”

Falsification of ownership documents

The doctor’s activities were not limited to smuggling; materials used to forge ownership documents for the artifacts were also seized, facilitating their sale at auction. Among the seizures were blank Egyptian papers estimated to be decades old with watermarks. There were also ancient Egyptian stamps and black-and-white photographs that appeared to be old. They allegedly depict one of his ancestors displaying artifacts. However, forensic experts concluded that these documents and photographs were forged and altered using digital software to make them appear old.

According to a press release issued by the US Attorney’s Office: “The defendant looted Egyptian cultural treasures and lied to US customs about them. This was part of a network he had woven to line his pockets with money illegally.“

The statement added: ”Those who steal cultural treasures from other countries and smuggle them into the United States should know that they will be held accountable for their crimes. We look forward to returning the recovered artifacts to Egypt.”

Egyptian antiquities at the same airport!

This is not the only case of Egyptian antiquities being smuggled through John F. Kennedy Airport. In 2024, Customs and Border Protection seized 14 Egyptian antiquities without original ownership documents. They were shipped through more than one international shipping company. Investigation documents revealed that behind the operation was an international network specializing in looting and smuggling Egyptian antiquities through countries such as Thailand to the United States and Europe. They are sold in antiquities markets or through electronic platforms, with the help of intermediaries collaborating with smugglers.

According to the 22-page seizure warrant, obtained by Bab Masr, the names of six individuals and several shipping companies involved in previous sales and smuggling operations were included.

Individuals and companies involved

According to the seizure warrant, the network included:

Shipping companies:

1- Fada Trading Co., Ltd. – based in Bangkok, Thailand. Its board member is Javed Ahmed, a Pakistani citizen and husband of Silvia Barbara. He is the second largest shareholder in the company.

2- Asia Pacific (HK) Limited – based in Hong Kong.

3- Century Arts Co. Ltd – Specializes in handmade jewelry and ornaments and is based in Thailand.

Individuals involved:

1- Nazih Barakat – A Canadian citizen residing in Hamilton, Ontario, who runs an art gallery.

2- Silvia Evet Barrera – Mexican citizen residing in San Antonio, Texas, who sold artifacts through her eBay account under the name CENTURYART.

3- Mark Rajan – American citizen residing in Edgewater, Maryland.

Rajan, Barakat, and Silvia

American antiquities collector Mark Rajan is one of the most prominent buyers. He acquired eight of the 14 confiscated pieces. However, he defended himself by saying that he had been deceived. This is because purchases made on eBay do not reveal the seller’s identity or allow direct communication with them.

He explained that he feared losing his money if he backed out of the purchase, noting that he had obtained an ancient ceramic amulet of the goddess Hathumait from a British collector who claimed it had come from an auction and would be sold at a low price. Rajan later completed his collection by purchasing seven other Egyptian artifacts from the CENTURYART account on eBay.

Smuggling in a suspicious shipment

The seizure warrant states that Rajan was involved in purchasing artifacts from Silvia Barrera through an eBay account named “3501 kenr.” In July 2020, Fada Trading attempted to ship these items to Canada. On July 15, 2020, customs stopped a shipment sent via FedEx from Bangkok to Nazih Barakat in Ontario, Canada. The shipping invoice listed it as a “stone sculpture for a home garden” valued at $1,200. However, officers discovered that it was a stone statue of a seated man.

They also seized a forged document claiming to be a will from a person named “Ahmed Abdullah” in favor of “Zina Abdullah,” the alias of Silvia Barrera, indicating that the artifacts were Egyptian family heirlooms. When asked about Ahmed Javed, the person mentioned in the survey, it turned out that he was her husband. He is the managing director of Fada Trading, the company that shipped the Egyptian statue to Barakat.

Shipping Egyptian antiquities from Thailand

Rajan justified his position by saying that he thought they were replicas, claiming that the total amount he paid for the eight pieces was $2,000. This is a very small amount if the antiquities are genuine. He said: “I was taking a risk with this amount, because if they were authentic, their price would be very cheap.” According to the investigation, Rajan contacted Barrera, who said that the source of the pieces was the seller’s father. No evidence was provided to support these claims.

Examination of the artifacts

On July 20, 2020, the seized pieces were presented to a historian specializing in ancient Egyptian art for examination and verification of their authenticity. The historian concluded that the pieces were authentic and dated back to the Old Kingdom, specifically during the Fourth or Fifth Dynasty.

The historian, whose name was not disclosed, explained to the Customs and Border Protection office that the statue is a common model found at archaeological sites in Saqqara and Giza. These are two areas that contain royal tombs near the ancient capital of Memphis (now Giza).

Smuggled from Germany

Between September 17 and 22, 2020, a wooden canopic jar, a pottery vessel, three small statues, four additional statues, and a vase dating back to before the dynasties were shipped. From Century Arts in Thailand to the Rajan family home in Edgwater, Maryland, via a German shipping company.

After these items arrived in the United States, they were inspected by Customs and Border Protection. They were then transferred to New York for further analysis. According to the US security memo: “The American museum curator examined the items in the shipments and determined that they were authentic Egyptian antiquities. None of the shipments contained any papers identifying them as antiquities or revealing their source.”

Smuggling route

Investigations revealed that these pieces had traveled a long way before reaching the United States. Investigators obtained still images from a video sent by one antiquities smuggler in Dubai to another in Germany in 2012. It was intercepted by foreign law enforcement authorities.

A comparison of the images with the video showed that it was the same statue that was later seized in Anchorage. This indicates that the statue remained in circulation on the black market. An official appraisal estimated the statue’s true value at around $6 million.

Revealing the truth

On July 29, 2020, Nazih Barakat sent an email to customs in response to an inquiry regarding the statue, attaching two documents: one titled “Confirmation” dated July 28, 2020, and the other titled “Invoice” dated June 10, 2020. It is noteworthy that both documents were written on paper bearing the logo of Asia Pacific (HK), not Fada Trading.

The first document described the statue as a “replica.” However, the official appraiser confirmed that it was a genuine antique statue. The invoice valued it at HK$2,500 (about $323 at the time), in stark contrast to its actual market value.

Customs and border protection officials attempted to ascertain the truth. After contacting Barakat on July 31, 2020, he responded to additional questions they sent him. Barakat explained that he had purchased the statue through Fada Trading. Barakat also attached a copy of the receipt to his response. The receipt, dated July 11, 2020, bearing Barakat’s signature and the Fada Trading Company stamp, shows that the shipping cost was $16,000. This exceeds the cost of the statue stated on the receipt, which was $1,200.

Are the artifacts authentic?

For further verification, an unnamed American museum curator compared the seized wooden box with one preserved at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. He also compared the seized vessel with a similar piece at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

When customs asked Rajan for additional documentation regarding the pieces, he was unable to provide it. The US government confiscated eight artifacts.

Authenticity of the artifacts

Investigations showed that Barakat was aware of the authenticity of some of the pieces, as he communicated via Facebook links indicating that the collection of statues was in a Berlin museum. This reveals that he knew he was dealing with real antiquities and not just “decorative items” as stated on the invoices.

Shipping records also show that Barakat received four other shipments from Fada Trading or individuals associated with it in 2019, describing their contents with misleading descriptions such as: “22 small glass vessels, jars and bowls, small colored glass plates, and pottery vessels.” In addition to copper and ceramic dishes and vessels. This is a common method of concealing the nature of looted artifacts.

Previous history of selling antiquities

The investigation revealed that Barakat has a history of selling Egyptian antiquities. For example, on November 24, 2014, he conducted an auction on Liveauctioneers.com where he offered a collection of Egyptian antiquities for sale.

On November 29, 2017, Barakat Art Galleries in Ontario issued an invoice to “Archaeological Center Limited” in Jaffa, Israel. It included items similar to those mentioned in previous shipping documents, such as “ancient glass,” “ancient pottery,” “ancient stone,” and “ancient bronze.”

Additional shipments

In July 2020, authorities intercepted a package sent via Royal Mail to Mark Rajan, an antiquities collector residing in Maryland. The shipment was described as containing an “antique pottery necklace.”

Rajan was using an account named “3501 kenr” on eBay. On July 16, 2020, an assistant curator at an American museum confirmed that the suspicious item was indeed an ancient amulet of the goddess Hatmehit, belonging to the ancient city of Mendes.

Between July 30 and September 23, 2020, at least seven shipments were sent from Century Arts Co. Ltd. in Thailand to Rajan in Edgewater, Maryland. They passed through Cincinnati, Ohio, where they were inspected by Customs and Border Protection authorities.

14 stolen Egyptian artifacts

According to the investigation memorandum, 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts were confiscated, along with another collection seized in Anchorage, Alaska, in October 2020. Others were seized at John F. Kennedy Airport, all related to the same individuals. This collection includes:

• A 5,200-year-old vase.
• A pottery amulet of the goddess Hathor from the Late Period (664–332 BC).
• A lid from an Egyptian wooden canopic jar from the New Kingdom, dating to the 19th Dynasty or later (1300 BC).
• A painted limestone bed statue from the New Kingdom (1549–1075 BC).
• Two small rod-shaped figurines (664–30 BC).
• A vase from the Pre-Dynastic Period (3500–3200 BC).
• A limestone jar with a handle from the Dynastic Period (3000–2600 BC).
• An ancient Egyptian ceramic amulet of the goddess Hatmehit, dating to the Late Period of Egypt (664-332 BC). It was seized on September 29, 2020, and confiscated at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
• A lid from an Egyptian wooden canopic jar from the New Kingdom period, dating back to the 19th Dynasty or later, around 1300 BC. It was seized on or around November 17, 2020, at John F. Kennedy Airport.

The collection seized at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York includes several important artifacts:

• A colored limestone ushabti statue from the New Kingdom period (1549-1075 BC), seized on November 17, 2020.
• A colored limestone statue dating back to the Ptolemaic period (664-30 BC), seized on November 17, 2020.
• Another colored limestone Ushabti statue from the New Kingdom (1549-1075 BC), seized on November 18, 2020.
• An osiris statue made of calcite (marble) dating back to the period between 1190 and 1075 BC, seized on October 18, 2020.
• A small colored limestone statue depicting an Egyptian bed from the New Kingdom (1549–1075 BC), seized on November 18, 2020.
• A vase sculpture dating back to the Pre-Dynastic Period (3500–3200 BC), seized on November 18, 2020.
• A jar made of Egyptian limestone dating back to the Early Dynastic Period (3000-2600 BC), seized on April 7, 2021.