A group of five individuals on Crete now faces charges for allegedly amassing up to €6 million by selling counterfeit artworks falsely attributed to renowned artists like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso. This revelation comes following an extensive police investigation into their activities.
The inquiry into this forgery ring was prompted by an incident in Sofia, Bulgaria, during which authorities thwarted the sale of a forged painting for a staggering €12 million in February.
Subsequent searches of residences and a warehouse located in Attica uncovered ten paintings, along with seals, documents, certificates of authenticity, and a metal oven believed to be used for artificially aging art pieces. Art experts who examined the discovered paintings concluded that they were entirely counterfeit.
The ensuing investigation revealed that the gang involved in selling these fake artworks had been in operation since at least 2014, duping private individuals, collectors, and auction houses worldwide.
The alleged members of this art forgery group span a wide age range, ranging from 35 to 69 years old.
