The existence of an international network for counterfeiting works of art, also active in Walloon Brabant, was revealed on Monday by the European Union agency for judicial cooperation in criminal matters (Eurojust). The platform mentions the seizure of 2,000 works of contemporary art for potential damage of 200 million euros.
An investigation was carried out jointly, from March 2023, by the Belgian, Spanish, French and Italian judicial authorities, against a criminal network for counterfeiting more than 2,000 works of contemporary art.
The Belgian part of the investigation was managed at the level of the judicial authorities of Walloon Brabant, through the La Mazerine police zone which covers the territories of the municipalities of La Hulpe, Lasne and Rixensart.
The art objects found include fake works by famous artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Francis Bacon, Wassily Kandinsky, Gustav Klimt, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Salvador Dali.
Investigations into counterfeiting revealed the existence of a network of counterfeiters in Spain, France and Belgium. Once the fake artworks were produced, the network worked with several complicit auction houses in Italy to sell the pieces.
To ensure the credibility of the auctions, exhibitions were organized throughout Italy and a catalog of works of art was published.
Searches notably led to the discovery of falsification workshops and the seizure of a thousand fake works of art and more than 500 fake certificates and stamps of authenticity.
The investigation led to the indictment of 38 suspects in the forgery network. “By preventing these works from reaching the market, the authorities have avoided a major disruption to the art auction industry”Eurojust said on Monday.
counterfeit art Eurojust
