Meet the amateur art sleuths helping bring back Asia’s stolen heritage

Growing up, Vijay Kumar’s favorite book was a Tamil historical fiction novel that told tales of a mighty king who ruled over southern India, where Mr. Kumar is from. It sparked in him an interest in ancient Indian history, particularly temples and the shrines and sculptures that filled them.

“I wanted to visit the places mentioned in the book, look at the small bits of history and feel the inscriptions,” says Mr. Kumar, now in his late 40s. 

Little did he know that his interest in Indian artifacts would one day help nab some of the world’s biggest art criminals. 

For decades, thieves have been looting temples and monasteries across Asia and smuggling their haul overseas where it often ends up in the international criminal activity, surpassed only by drug and arms trafficking.