INTERPOL assists recovery of ancient Iraqi statue looted in 2003

The statue was returned to Iraqi officials in a ceremony in Washington on 25 July 2006, following a three-year worldwide investigation led by the United States Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Cultural Property Enforcement.

The headless stone statue of the Sumerian King Entemena, which dates back to 2430 BC, is made of rare black diorite stone and stands approximately 30 inches (76cm) high. It was one of the most significant antiquities looted from Iraqi cultural institutions and archaeological sites in April 2003 during civil unrest that followed the start of military action in Iraq.

INTERPOL added the statue to its stolen works of art database and CD-ROM and included it in a special INTERPOL 'Most Wanted Works of Art' poster about Iraqi artifacts in 2003. INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Washington liaised with the US authorities as they worked to recover the piece.

In late 2005, the US Department of Homeland Security received information regarding the statue’s whereabouts. In May 2006, the statue was recovered and shipped to the US, where it was authenticated on 5 June and remained under DHS custody.

King Entemena ruled over the ancient Sumerian capital of Lagash, located in present-day southeastern Iraq. The statue, which is the oldest known representation of an ancient Iraqi king, was excavated at a temple in the early 20th century.