The Trade in Looted Antiquities Endures for One Reason: Demand
A 1997 looting operation at Cambodia's Koh Ker temple complex targeted three ancient statues, which were trafficked through Thailand to Western buyers. One statue was purchased by an American billionaire, another by a London dealer before disappearing into a private collection, and the third was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Two of the three have since been repatriated to Cambodia following investigations into the network of British dealer Douglas Latchford, who allegedly trafficked stolen Cambodian sculptures for decades, often sourced by men linked to the Khmer Rouge.