The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, has finally managed to detain heritage looter Indian-origin US businessman Vijay Nanda, said to be a top international smuggler. Nanda is running a global syndicate dealing in precious antiques, from South Mumbai.
India is being robbed of its exceptional and ancient sculptures and artefacts worth billions from temples and places for several years now. The sources in the DRI told mid-day that Nanda was on many Indian agencies’ radar since long.
The agency suspects, Nanda smuggled out and sold more than 250 precious antiques and artefacts worth billions of rupees across the world in the last decade.
For the last 30 years, he was residing in the US and used to be furniture and garment merchant. But later he started a company called ‘Sangam Importer’ in New York in 2010. He was then selling old furniture worldwide.
He also set up another company called ‘Sage Mercantile.’ Both the companies were acting as fronts for his criminal deeds.
As per DRI, Nanda was detained on his arrival in India a few days ago. He came here with a purpose to smuggle more sculptures.
