FBI returns stolen hyena sculpture to Kenya, hunting for four more missing

The FBI is ordinarily known to investigate hard criminals, gather intelligence and to be principal federal law enforcement agency for the United States on several issues.

But this time round, it was involved in the hunt for a stolen hyena sculpture whose value is just but sentimental.

The sculpture was stolen from a private house in Nairobi’s Runda area in 2013 and was recovered in 2017 in Philadelphia, USA and returned to Kenya.

To the FBI agents, the recovery is a milestone in their efforts to address art and cultural property crime cases.

“It feels good to have it back in Kenya because this will send a signal to those involved in this crime they can’t trade in the art anymore. It is priceless to us,” said FBI special agent Jake Archer of Art Crime Team which helped in tracing the recovered piece.

He added, even though they have not had cases where such art are used in laundering, there are fears they would head to that direction.

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The recovered piece depicting a hyena carrying a carcass of a wild beast was stolen from the owner in Runda in January 2013 and later shipped to the US for auctioning.

Four other pieces of the art of elephants are missing and FBI detectives who recovered and returned that of hyena sculpture to Nairobi want anyone with information on their whereabouts to help them.

“The art could be in Kenya or the US and we appeal to anyone with information on the same to volunteer to us for recovery,” said Mr Archer.

The stolen sculpture belongs to Kenyan Tim Nicklin who had kept them as artist copies in his house.

According to Nicklin, 64 someone known to him stole the five sculptures and shipped them to the US where only one was recovered late last year.

The recovery was made after an unknown person sent an email to Nicklin with pictures of the art asking if he was the owner.

“She sent an email with the pictures asking if I knew them or they were mine. She said the art was at a display for auction,” said Nicklin.

He had in 2013, several months after he realized the art were missing reported to Runda police station stating they had been stolen.

And after he received the email, he went to the local police station before the Interpol and US embassy officials were alerted.

According to the FBI agents, the sculpture was intercepted in the US East Coast but no arrest has been made so far.

The sculpture was handed back to Nicklin and his wife Anne at the US embassy in Nairobi at an event that witnessed by ambassador Robert Godec.

“The hyena is back! This is so nice to us,” said a smiling Anne as she held the sculpture.

Nicklin said he has been making such art for years and out of orders. He added he made such arts to president Moi, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta.

“All Kenyan presidents from Moi, Kibaki and Kenyatta have my sculpture. This is something I have been doing for years,” he said after receiving the recovered item.

He added his sculpts have graced the homes of royalty, corporate captains and celebrities.

He added former President Moi bought a lot of his pieces to gift VIP guests, especially visiting heads of state.

His work has also been presented as trophies in golf tournaments, Safari Rally and Rhino charge. His sculptures can also be seen in the Nairobi National Museum.

This artist sculpts wildlife in bronze and polybronze – a composite of polyester resin and bronze metal filings.

The FBI established the rapid deployment Art Crime Team in 2004. The team which investigates art related crime worldwide is composed of 16 special agents, each responsible for addressing art and cultural property crime cases in an assigned geographic region. The Art Crime Team is coordinated through the FBI’s Art Theft Program, located at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Since its inception, the Art Crime Team has recovered more than 14,850 items valued at over $165 million. Art and cultural property crime—which includes theft, fraud, looting, and trafficking across state and international lines—is a looming criminal enterprise with estimated losses in the billions of dollars annually.