On July 3, 2025, the Italian Carabinieri unit to protect the cultural heritage in Rome investigated an Italian citizen who sold forgeries for years.
The Baden-Württemberg and Berlin Police have been involved in the investigations for several years with their departments for art and cultural crime. In close cooperation with the Picasso Museum Münster, the proof of counterfeiting for all works could be provided. A total of seven fake prints have been identified as forgeries thus far, which are attributed to the accused and his environment.
Among other things, the accused had submitted four works of paper from the Vollard Suite series to an auction house in Stuttgart, which were falsely declared as works by Pablo Picasso. Two of these prints have already been sold, and two more were secured in time. In the meantime, one of the works sold at an art dealership in Worms has been confiscated, while the second is located in Austria.
The accused had already sold forgeries in the past. At the same time, a similar case was known in Dresden. All graphics concerned are counterfeits according to the current state of investigation.
Based on the findings, the Federal Criminal Police Office, together with the Federal Association of German Art Dealers, prompted a nationwide warning in January 2023. Three other German auction houses have been contacted by the accused.