Italy: a gigantic seizure of more than 2,000 counterfeit works of art

ADVERTISEMENT

Fake Warhol, Banksy or even Picasso. Italian authorities have seized nearly 2,100 counterfeit works of art. An operation which allowed the European Union's judicial cooperation agency Eurojust to dismantle a network of art forgers operating in Italy, France, Spain and Belgium.

The suspects allegedly planned to sell the copies of artworks presented as original works with the help of complicit auction houses in Italy. A scam which could have amounted to nearly 200 million euros.

The investigation began in earnest in 2023 when Italian authorities found 200 counterfeits during a search of the home of a Pisa businessman. A discovery which made it possible to identify the participation of auction houses in fraudulent operations on the art market.

38 people are currently under investigation in this case, including six in Spain, France and Belgium.