ATHENS – Greek police arrested 13 people said to be an art trafficking group that tried to sell a forged Pablo Picasso painting for 25 million euros ($28.95 million,) catching them in a sting operation set by the the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.
Undercover officers posed at the buyers and went to a residence in Elliniko after the suspects had approached a businessman, claiming to possess an original Picasso depicting a female figure, said Kathimerini.
Acting on intelligence, police staged the operation, arresting the suspects and said they thwarted a separate attempted sale involving two fake works attributed to Jackson Pollock, a Monet painting and three religious icons, valued at €100,000 ($115,865.)
That led to searches at warehouses in Pangrati and Menidi that found counterfeit artworks and antiquities, including forged pieces of Van Gogh Theophilos, Gaitis and Tsarouchis; more than 2,000 ancient coins; religious icons; and €66,000 ($76,470) in cash.
A painter previously arrested in 2023 for a similar case is among those in custody with no details about whether he had been prosecuted.. Police also found forged certificates of authenticity, art tools and documents linked to prominent collectors and institutions.
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