Ten paintings stolen in Italy recovered in Romania, worth over €90,000
Romanian police have recovered ten artworks stolen from a house in Italy and smuggled clandestinely into Romania. The paintings have been returned to Italian Carabinieri, whilst four Romanians are under investigation for aggravated theft and smuggling of cultural property.
Ten paintings stolen in Italy recovered in Romania, worth over €90,000
Ten canvases illegally taken from an Italian residence and transported to Romania have been traced and seized by Romanian investigators. On Tuesday, the works were returned to the heads of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, as announced by the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police.
The case emerged during a criminal investigation managed by the Prosecutor's Office of the Constanța Court, according to Digi24.
The investigation began when Romanian investigators received reports about the presence in their country of paintings likely resulting from crimes committed abroad. The verification revealed that the works had been removed on 23 August 2024 from a residence located in Bassano del Grappa, in the Veneto region. They had subsequently been transferred illegally to Romania. The economic damage is estimated at over €90,000.
Between 6 and 7 March 2025, law enforcement officers conducted searches at multiple properties in the Constanța area. During the operations, they seized the ten canvases, together with storage peripherals and computer equipment.
Four persons of Romanian nationality are now under investigation for aggravated theft and for the unlawful introduction of cultural property onto Romanian soil. The inquiries made it possible to document the entire criminal chain and to recover all the stolen goods.
The exchange of information between Bucharest and Rome took place through institutional channels of judicial and police cooperation, with support from the tools made available by Europol.
The paintings, once handed over to the Carabinieri, will be returned to their legitimate owners.
Source: Digi24