In July 2021, an endeavor to smuggle a bronze idol of Lord Vishnu (Perumal), dating back to the late medieval period and crafted using the ‘lost-wax’ casting method prevalent during the Chola Empire, was intercepted by vigilant customs officers in Bengaluru. Detection of oxidation on the approximately 22 kg statue raised suspicions about its historical significance, prompting the officers to flag the shipment, leading to the confiscation of the antiquity.
Similarly, in February 2021, Bengaluru customs authorities seized an idol of Lord Vishnu, composed of chloritic schist stone and originating from the same era, as it was being sent to Japan. Additionally, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence foiled an attempt to smuggle six handwritten Qurans from the 17th-19th century at Delhi airport in October 2018.
During a virtual ceremony presided over by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a total of 101 confiscated antiquities, including archaeological treasures like a tracker telescope, daggers, manuscripts, and various figurines seized from different states, were handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Some of these artifacts will be exhibited at ‘Dharohar,’ the National Museum of Customs in Goa, while others will receive specialized care and display by the ASI.
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