CHICAGO, ILLINOIS—According to a statement released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 51 coins were repatriated to Greece in a ceremony in Chicago attended by Alexandra Papadopoulou, Greece’s ambassador to the United States; Consul General Emmanuel Koubarakis; Consul Georgia Tasiopoulou; representatives from Greece’s National Hellenic Museum; and officials from Homeland Security (HSI) Chicago. The coins were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during the examination of four shipments of merchandise entering the United States and were seized when the shippers and consignees were unable or unwilling to provide proper documentation of ownership. The return was orchestrated through an investigation conducted by HSI Chicago, HSI’s Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities (CPAA) program, and CBP law enforcement. “As these coins get back to Greece where they belong, I’m sure it will make an exciting, powerful display as part of our culture, as part of our shared identity, and as part of our close relationship with the United States,” Papadopoulou said. For more on the archaeology of ancient Greece, go to "The Sea God's Sanctuary."
