Police uncover £165m forgery network across Europe producing Banksy, Picasso fakes
The IndependentSign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Police in Italy said they have successfully broken up a major European criminal network that was forging and selling artwork attributed to some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art, including Banksy and Andy Warhol. Teresa Angela Camelio, chief prosecutor of Pisa, said that experts from the archive who assisted with the investigation were considering this operation as “the biggest act of protection of Banksy’s work”. “The activity carried out made it possible to shed light on a transnational system of forgers interconnected with compliant auction houses.” open image in gallery Modern and contemporary fake artworks, including Banksy, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, are displayed after Italian police uncover crime ring The investigation was taken up in March last year after Italian art police seized 200 works of contemporary art from a businessman in Pisa. open image in gallery Camelio added that if the investigation had not managed to uncover the network of forgers and compliant auction houses, the forged works could have been sold at prices “close to the artists’ original works,” which would “certainly have significantly changed the auction market”.
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European fake art network involving Banksys, Warhols, Modiglianis uncovered in Italy
Associated Press
Huge crime network forging Banksy, Warhol and Picasso uncovered in Italy
CNN
Huge crime network forging Banksy, Warhol and Picasso uncovered in Italy
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