Italian Police Dismantle Major European Art Forgery Network

Authorities seized over 2,100 fake artworks, including forgeries of Banksy, Warhol, and Picasso, in a €200 million operation.

Thirty-eight individuals across Italy, Spain, France, and Belgium are under investigation for their roles in the forgery network.
Six forgery workshops were uncovered, with major operations located in Tuscany and Venice, as well as other parts of Europe.
The investigation began in March 2023 after 200 counterfeit artworks were found in a Pisa businessman's collection.
The network used complicit auction houses to sell the fakes, complete with forged certificates of authenticity.
Authorities hailed the operation as a significant act of protection for Banksy's work, with experts from the Banksy archive assisting in the investigation.