This follows a claim by the DoJ in asset forfeiture lawsuits filed in the US that the jewellery, gifted to her by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, had been allegedly purchased with misappropriated 1Malaysia Development Bhd funds.
A report in The Australian quoted Kerr’s spokesman as saying she transferred the jewellery on Friday to government agents from her safe-deposit box in Los Angeles.
“From the start of the inquiry, Miranda Kerr co-operated fully and pledged to turn over the gifts of jewellery to the government. Ms Kerr will continue to assist with the inquiry in any way she can,” he said.
Kerr isn’t a defendant in the lawsuits.
The report said the DoJ declined to comment of the return of the jewellery.
The DoJ filed civil-forfeiture lawsuits last year and earlier this month seeking assets it says were bought with money stolen from 1MDB.
The jewellery handed over by Kerr is among more than US$1.7 billion worth of assets the DoJ is seeking.
The Australian report said Kerr, an Australian, had dated Low for about a year in 2014. During this time, the DoJ says, he gave her four gifts of jewellery. The DoJ detailed the specifics of the jewellery given to Kerr, and how it was tied up with 1MDB funds.
Among the jewellery were a 11.72 carat, heart-shaped diamond pendant bought from the well-known jeweller Lorraine Schwartz and an 8.88-carat diamond pendant.
Kerr was married last month to Snap co-founder Evan Spiegel.
Leonardo DiCaprio meanwhile has handed over artwork gifted to him by Low, and which the DoJ says were bought with money misappropriated from 1MDB.
The DoJ also says the wife of Malaysian Official 1 had received 27 jewellery items, including a 22-carat pink diamond pendant and necklace, allegedly bought from misappropriated 1MDB funds.
Several NGOs and opposition political parties have called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and police to investigate this allegation.
1MDB has denied any wrongdoing. The report added that 1MDB had said it had found no evidence that any of its money had been misappropriated.