In France, a stolen Picasso painting worth 12-15 million euros was unexpectedly found during a search of a drug dealer
In France, law enforcement officers unexpectedly discovered a painting by Pablo Picasso during a search as part of an investigation into a drug trafficking case. The value of the painting is estimated at 12–15 million euros. This was reported by Le Parisien.
The search was conducted in one of the houses in the town of Champigny-sur-Marne near Paris. Among the drugs, cash and expensive items, the police found a genuine work by the famous Spanish artist.
The judicial police of the Val-de-Marne department, together with the special unit of the Paris police prefecture, acted within the framework of a drug supply case. During the operation, law enforcement officers seized about 20 kilograms of cannabis resin, designer clothes worth several hundred thousand euros and cash. However, the most unexpected find was a Picasso painting, the name of which was not initially reported.
According to the investigation, the suspect worked in a warehouse where luxury items were stored and secretly took valuables from there. Among the stolen items was a Picasso painting. Four people were detained in this case.
Later it turned out that the painting was found in the house of a relative of a 37-year-old man detained in a drug trafficking case. The painting depicts one of Picasso’s mistresses, Maria-Theresa Walter. Its value is estimated at 12-15 million euros. The painting belongs to an investor from Singapore. The man whose relative kept the portrait worked for a company specializing in the storage of works of art.
During interrogation, he admitted to stealing the painting, saying that he allegedly wanted to show the weaknesses of the security system. At the same time, the suspect’s lawyer emphasized that her client is not a member of a criminal group.
