Dozens of Stolen Artifacts Recovered in Bali

Made Arya Kencana | September 07, 2010

Jakarta. Police have seized 144 stolen sacred Hindu artifacts from three storage facilities in Bali after arresting the suspected thief, a 50-year-old Italian national, last week.

On Tuesday, police raided a warehouse on Jalan Mertanadi in Seminyak, where they recovered 20 artifacts depicting various deities such as the god Vishnu and sacred animals like the mythical Garuda bird.

The day before, police confiscated 24 pratimas, or religious effigies, in a raid on an art shop on Jalan Teuku Umar in Denpasar.

“These artifacts that we have confiscated are connected to the string of pratima thefts at various Hindu temples across Bali,” Adj. Comr. Soma Adnyana, chief of Bali Police’s criminal unit, said on Tuesday.

Police believed that the suspect, Roberto Gamboa, was a collector of stolen artifacts. Last week, they arrested the Italian and confiscated 110 pratimas at a villa belonging to him on Jalan Bumbuk Kerobokan in Badung district.

Police also discovered 35,000 ancient Balinese coins, several Sanskrit scriptures and golden statuettes.

Gamboa reportedly told police that the artifacts originated from several districts in Bali, including Gianyar, Tabanan and Nusa Penida, and that he planned to sell some to a dealer in Jakarta.

Police later arrested Gamboa’s alleged accomplices, Gusti Putu Okariadi and Gusti Lanang Sidemen, whom they say helped Gamboa steal the artifacts from various temples.

Komang Oka Sukaya, who operates the art shop where some of the goods were recovered, was also arrested.

Bali has had a string of thefts at temples over the past four years, all of which police have linked to Gamboa.

The first thefts occurred in 2006, around the time Gamboa said he started collecting Balinese artifacts, police said.

At least 34 temples on the island have been targeted since.

Gamboa said he was not aware he had been purchasing sacred artifacts stolen from temples. The relics were purchased from Gusti Putu and Gusti Lanang for between Rp 500,000 to Rp 1 million each ($55 to $110).

Police said the pratimas could fetch at least Rp 200 million apiece on the international artifacts market.

“We estimated more than Rp 200 billion in losses,” Adnyana said. Police suspected that Gamboa acted on behalf of a collector in Italy.

Adnyana said police were also seeking a French national in connection with the scheme.