North American Tasks Forces

To assist Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies in the International effort to combat cultural property crimes, the NATF gathers stolen cultural property statistics, monitors databases and other listing sites, and actively investigates and monitors thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, resale shops, antique shops and individual dealers, private holders and collectors, corporations, organizations, museums and other possible holders of cultural property in the search and recovery efforts for listed items, and routinely forwards related information to various local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies.

 

In addition, the NATF provides Cultural Property Theft Reports received from U.S. Law Enforcement Agencies to the INTERPOL Secretariat General so that an International Cultural Property Theft Notice can be issued. With the issuance of an official International Cultural Property Theft Notice, it becomes more difficult to pass legal title on a stolen item, making it harder to trade.

 

The notice issued by INTERPOL is the only legally enforceable notice of its kind. The NATF’s Cultural Property Crimes Program actively participates in the execution and coordination of these international cases involving illicit Art and Antiquities by working with the following agencies to track and seek out the return of stolen works of art and cultural property:

 

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Investigations Unit)

• INTERPOL Secretariat General (Property Crimes/Works of Art)

• F.B.I. (Art Theft Program)

• U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (Cultural Heritage Center)

• Los Angeles Police Department (Art Theft Detail)

• UNESCO (Moveable Heritage and Museums/International Council of Museums)