India has a poor record of retrieving stolen antique idols, with only 4 out of 31 stolen from protected sites and temples in recent years being recovered. While the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) reports most thefts from South India, particularly Karnataka, no ASI-protected sites in Kerala have reported thefts since 1997. However, other antique thefts have occurred in Kerala, including a significant idol theft in 2009 that remains unsolved, despite investigations involving international antique dealers.