Theft of six Picasso engravings in Mougins: eight suspects arrested
Six authenticated engravings by Pablo Picasso, stolen in early October from a restaurant in Mougins, have been recovered intact. Eight men aged 20 to 30 were arrested on the Côte-d'Azur.
Theft of engravings from a coastal restaurant
According to nicematin.com, eight men, aged 20 to 30, were arrested on Tuesday 3 November following the theft of six Picasso engravings from the restaurant L'Amandier in Mougins, on the Côte-d'Azur. The works, stolen on 1 October, were recovered intact in Vallauris a few days before the arrests.
The burglary took place during the night of 1 October. Individuals forced a door to the restaurant before removing the six engravings by the Spanish master. Cannes' research brigade was assigned to the investigation as soon as the theft was discovered the following morning.
Investigators deployed substantial investigative resources, notably the exploitation of video surveillance and telephone wiretaps. These efforts led to the identification of eight suspects in several communes in the western part of the département.
Among the eight arrested, several are suspected of having participated directly in the burglary. Others are facing charges for complicity or attempted handling of stolen goods. Some suspects have criminal records. The group is believed to have been made up of opportunists rather than an organised network, according to investigators.
The works were recovered in their original frames in Vallauris, the commune where Picasso long resided. The suspects allegedly quickly encountered difficulties in disposing of pieces as easily identifiable as the stolen engravings.
This theft occurred less than a month after the burglary of the Renoir museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on 8 September, where four Impressionist paintings were stolen. Two of these canvases were abandoned upon the arrival of municipal police officers; the other two were recovered a month later, concealed in a garage.
Source: TF1 Info