Contemporary Artworks stolen in Poland recovered

The artworks were stolen during a burglary in the southeastern city of Przemyśl on the night of March 24-25, 2022. The collection included 10 artworks and one photograph by artists such as Damien Hirst, Banksy, Takashi Murakami, Linda McCartney and Shi Xinning, valued over $186,600.

Malgorzata Taciuch-Kurasiewicz from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl told Polish state news agency PAP: “On December 9, 2024, there was a significant breakthrough in the investigation, after nearly three years, stolen works of contemporary art by famous foreign artists were recovered.” 

She added that two days later, on December 11, the authenticity of the recovered works was confirmed by foreign experts. Taciuch-Kurasiewicz also said that the recovery of a total of 11 works of art was the result of the joint actions of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl and officers of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Rzeszów, in cooperation with representatives of the company that owns the works.

She added that no more details could be disclosed for the good of the ongoing probe.  The investigation has been conducted by the Polish-Ukrainian Joint Investigation Team, established within Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, under the supervision of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl.