Word of God: 4. You've Got Mail
From Intrigue by BBC Radio 4
March 5, 2025 · 29 min · Season 10 · Episode 4
About this episode
The episode explores a federal investigation into the smuggling of ancient clay tablets into the U.S. and the implications of antiquities trafficking.
Federal investigators uncover a shadowy scheme to smuggle ancient clay tablets into America. When customs officers in Memphis inspect a package labelled "tile samples" in January 2011, they discover something far more precious - delicate clay tablets covered in cuneiform, one of humanity's earliest forms of writing. Through exclusive interviews with former US prosecutor Karin Orenstein and special agent Brenton Easter, Lewis reveals how this discovery led to one of the largest antiquities investigations in recent history. The episode reconstructs how Hobby Lobby President Steve Green attended a meeting in an apartment in the United Arab Emirates to view thousands of ancient artefacts, despite receiving explicit legal warnings about importing items from Iraq. When boxes of tablets start turning up at US customs addressed to Hobby Lobby stores labelled as craft supplies, investigators uncover an elaborate scheme of false declarations, undervalued items, and payments spread across multiple bank accounts. As the investigation builds toward a landmark settlement requiring the return of around 3,800 artefacts and a $3 million payment, the episode exposes the complex world of…
People in this episode
Host: Ben Lewis
Guests: Karin Orenstein, Brenton Easter
Topics covered
- antiquities trafficking
- cultural heritage
- smuggling
- investigation
- legal issues
- international law
Keywords
- ancient tablets
- cuneiform
- Hobby Lobby
- smuggling scheme
- antiquities
- customs investigation
- cultural artifacts
- legal warnings
- international trafficking
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Hobby Lobby, BBC Radio 4
Places: United Arab Emirates, Memphis
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