French police discover stolen Picasso during drugs raid
During a search in Champigny-sur-Marne, near Paris, police found an authentic Pablo Picasso painting stolen from a Parisian warehouse. The work is valued between 12 and 15 million euros.
French police discover stolen Picasso during drugs raid
On Monday, French authorities conducted a search in the Paris suburb of Champigny-sur-Marne, where drug trafficking was suspected. During the raid, law enforcement discovered approximately 20 kilogrammes of hashish, a small sum of cash and luxury items worth several hundred thousand euros. Four people were arrested.
The real surprise of this operation was the discovery of a pre-war painting by Pablo Picasso, whose authenticity was confirmed by expert assessment. According to the newspaper Le Parisien, the portrait depicts Marie-Thérèse Walter, who was the artist's companion from 1927 to 1935. The value of this painting is estimated between 12 and 15 million euros.
According to authorities, this Picasso work ended up in the hands of criminals after being stolen from a Parisian warehouse. This art theft had not been widely publicised and does not figure among the most famous art robberies of recent years.
Source: Google News EE — Crime (et)