Australia will return three ancient bronze sculptures that were likely exported illegally from Cambodia.

The sculptures date back to the 9th and 10th centuries and were acquired by the National Gallery of Australia in 2011 for about $2.3 million from the late art dealer Douglas Latchford.

Mr Latchford has been implicated in the illegal antiquities trade since 2016. He was charged with trafficking in stolen and looted Cambodian antiquities a year before he died in 2020.

The works of art being sent back to Cambodia are statues of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Padmapani, Bodhisattva Vajrapani and Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Padmapani.

The move to return the sculptures is the result of a decade-long investigation and consultation with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in Cambodia.

“We are grateful for their support in identifying the place of origin of these culturally significant sculptures and are pleased we can now return them to their rightful home,” gallery director Nick Mitzevich said.

It’s the second major decision under the gallery’s provenance framework, following the removal of 17 works from the national collection linked to art dealers Subhash Kapoor and William Wolff in 2021.

The Cambodian statues were removed from the national collection because of suspicions about their origins about the same time.

They will remain on display in Canberra for another three years while the Cambodian government prepares a place to display them in Phnom Penh.

At a handover ceremony in Canberra, the Cambodian ambassador welcomed the return of the works.

“This is an historic occasion and an important step towards rectifying past injustices, reinforcing the value of cultural properties and acknowledging the importance of preserving and protecting cultural heritage,” Chanborey Cheunboran said.

– AAP