Stolen Art, Artifacts and Diamonds | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

The Looting of Cambodia (Part 1) (11s)

• The theft of Cambodia's cultural treasures, including thousands of artifacts made from stone, bronze, and gold, is considered one of the greatest art heists in history. (21s)
• The looting of Cambodia's temples, which began nearly a century ago during French colonization, escalated significantly in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s during periods of genocide, civil war, and political instability. (32s)
• Douglas Latchford, a British art dealer, played a central role in the looting, selling stolen artifacts to wealthy collectors and prominent museums worldwide. (48s)

The Looting of Cambodia (Part 2) (14m13s)

• A team of Cambodian investigators, led by American lawyer Brad Gordon, has spent over 10 years documenting the theft of thousands of ancient statues and relics by British art dealer Douglas Latchford. (14m16s)
• Many of Cambodia's greatest treasures are still hidden in the mansions of wealthy individuals and displayed in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. (14m33s)
• The Met has one of the most important collections of Cambodian antiquities, many of which were stolen and passed through the hands of Douglas Latchford. (14m50s)
• Latchford sold and donated several pieces to the Met in the early 1990s, and most visitors are unaware that these are looted artifacts. (15m11s)
• Brad Gordon and his team visited Cambodia to trace the origins of these artifacts, discovering that many were looted from ancient temples like the seven-story pyramid in COK. (15m41s)
• Among the stolen artifacts were nine stone warriors from COK, seven of which have been returned to the National Museum in Phnom Penh. (16m18s)
• The Lindaman family, with the help of Latchford, built a collection of stolen Cambodian treasures, which were displayed in their Palm Beach mansion. (17m10s)
• Former looters identified several statues in the Lindaman collection as pieces they had stolen, including a reclining figure of the Hindu god Vishnu. (18m10s)
• Photos of looted statues covered in dirt were found on Latchford's computer, and he sold many of these to the Met. (18m46s)
• Latchford was indicted in 2019 but died before trial; federal prosecutors continue to trace his looted artifacts, with at least 18 pieces ending up at the Met. (19m31s)
• The Met has been criticized for not thoroughly investigating the provenance of artifacts acquired from Latchford, despite evidence of looting. (20m5s)
• The Met announced the creation of a research team to examine the provenance of its collections, but this process has been slow. (21m33s)
• The Lindaman family agreed to return 33 stolen treasures to Cambodia after realizing the extent of Latchford's looting. (24m13s)
• The Cambodian team, led by Brad Gordon, was able to see and identify several important artifacts from the Lindaman collection, which are now set to be returned to Cambodia. (25m31s)
• The Cambodian government has submitted a list of 49 antiquities held by the Met that they claim were stolen and want back. (26m40s)

The Heritage War (26m57s)

• The destruction of cultural property in Ukraine is considered a war crime, with accusations against Russian forces for targeting and looting churches, libraries, and museums. (27m12s)
• Ukrainian investigators believe the destruction is part of a campaign of cultural genocide aimed at erasing Ukraine's national identity. (27m31s)
• Museum workers in Ukraine are facing threats and danger, with some being arrested or kidnapped by Russian soldiers. (31m28s)

Discovered (40m3s)

• German authorities discovered a large collection of missing art in a Munich apartment owned by Cornelius Gurlitt during a tax investigation. (40m11s)
• Cornelius Gurlitt inherited the art collection from his father, Hildebrand Gurlitt, who was an art dealer chosen by Hitler to sell art abroad. (43m36s)
• A task force is examining 590 of the artworks, which are potentially looted from Jewish owners, to determine their rightful owners. (51m18s)

The Pink Panthers (53m30s)

• The Pink Panthers, a group of jewel thieves, are credited with over 370 heists totaling $500 million in stolen jewels. (53m37s)
• The Pink Panthers are composed of ex-Yugoslavs, many of whom fought in the Serbian Special Forces during the Bosnian Wars. (53m59s)
• Interpol has identified 800 core members of the Pink Panthers using photos, fingerprints, and DNA. (59m6s)