Carabinieri and Eurojust seize 104 counterfeit "Picassos" and "Munches" meant for sale abroad

Carabinieri and Eurojust seize 104 counterfeit "Picassos" and "Munches" meant for sale abroad

Italian authorities have seized 104 forged artworks falsely attributed to Picasso, Edvard Munch and Paul Klee, in a cross-border operation supported by Eurojust, the EU’s agency for judicial cooperation.

The fake pieces were intercepted before reaching auction houses in Germany and Spain and were brought back to Italy following European Investigation Orders.

The forgeries were part of a counterfeiting scheme uncovered by Italy’s Carabinieri art squad. Investigators say the group used graphic software to replicate originals, printing them on paper with falsified watermarks and copied signatures. To mimic aging, the prints were soaked in coffee or tea, then sent abroad with fake circulation certificates to evade expert checks. Eurojust said the fakes could have fetched over €1 million ($1.17 million) if sold.