Store Robbed Twice by Same Man; Bragg Returns Antiquities to Pakistan

NYPD is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying an individual wanted in connection with a 19th Precinct robbery pattern. Details are as follows:

On Sunday, May 11, at approximately 10am, an unidentified man entered the Lululemon store at 1529 Third Ave. and removed merchandise from the sales floor. As he began to flee, he displayed a sharp object and threatened a 31-year-old male.

The suspect absconded southbound on Third Avenue toward 86th Street on foot.

Two weeks later, nearly to the minute, on Sunday, May 25, at approximately 10:02am, the unidentified man was back. Again, he stole and again he threated a 31-year-old male with a sharp object before fleeing southbound on Third Avenue toward 86th Street on foot.

There were no injuries reported in either incident.

A surveillance photo from the first robbery shows a thin man of light brown complexion and black hair wearing sweatpants, a hoodie, and pink-framed glasses.

Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.

Bragg Returns Antiquities to Pakistan

On Wednesday, May 28, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the return of 39 antiquities to the people of Pakistan. The objects were recovered pursuant to several criminal investigations into trafficking networks targeting Pakistani antiquities, including that of the notorious Indian American art smuggler Subhash Kapoor.

Kapoor’s long-closed gallery, Art of the Past, was located at 1242 Madison Ave.

In 2012, then Manhattan DA, Cyrus Vance Jr., obtained an arrest warrant for Kapoor and his extradition from India, which is pending.

Kapoor was first arrested as part of an investigation code-named Operation Hidden Idol in Frankfurt, Germany, in October 2011. He was extradited from there to Chennai, India, in July 2012. From Chennai, Kapoor was transferred to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where he spent 10 years in prison before being tried and convicted of criminal conspiracy, burglary, and the illegal export of goods worth over 940 million rupees in November 2022 (equal to $10.8 million at the current exchange rate).

It’s believed Kapoor trafficked thousands of antiquities from across south Asia.

“We are deeply grateful to District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his dedicated team—especially the Antiquities Trafficking Unit—for their leadership and commitment to cultural justice. Their efforts are not only commendable—they are historic,” said Pakistan Consul General Aamer Ahmed Atozai.

Among pieces being returned are “Buddha and Attendants” frieze: the gray schist architectural frieze panel (above) depicts the seated Buddha flanked by attendants and is carved in the Gandharan sculptural tradition. Also being returned is and an Indus Valley terracotta vessel dating to 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE.