Cambodia’s stolen art sent home

Cambodia's stolen gold discovered - 20th March 2023

A huge collection of Cambodian gold, statues and valuable jewellery was recently discovered in the UK.

The treasure was a great surprise to experts as it contained 77 gold and jewelled items. These date from the 7th and 11th centuries and certain pieces, like a gold rice bowl, had never been seen before. One expert said the collection showed the importance of Cambodia in the past.

The antiques thief who stole this treasure was a British collector, Douglas Latchford. He realised the country was experiencing difficult political times, for example in the 1970s. He took the opportunity to steal art from the temples of Cambodia's Angkor empire.

Latchford kept many of the artworks himself and went on to publish a book about them in 2008. In this way he made his collection look official. The publication also advertised his stolen art to possible customers. However, the book and its photographs were seen by specialists as well. They spotted stolen pieces and then informed the US government.

The criminal died in 2020, before going to court. Soon after, Latchford's family members announced that the Cambodian treasure was going back home. The collection will soon be on display to the public in the capital, Phnom Penh.

However, it seems this is just the start of the story. The BBC has interviewed thieves in Cambodia whose descriptions of stolen items are surprising. They match objects now in famous museums, such as the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert in London.