Ten paintings, valued at 90,000 euros and stolen in Italy, have been recovered in Romania and handed over to representatives of the Italian authorities, the Romanian Police reported on Tuesday.

According to a statement from the Romanian Police Inspectorate General (IGPR), on Tuesday IGPR's Criminal Investigations Directorate handed over to representatives of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage the ten paintings recovered in Romania, in a criminal case handled under the coordination of the Constanta County Prosecutor's Office.

'The investigations were launched after criminal-investigation officers obtained information regarding the presence on Romanian territory of ten paintings suspected of originating from offences committed in Italy. Following the inquiries, it was established that the ten paintings had been stolen on August 23, 2024 from a home in Bassano del Grappa, Republic of Italy, and subsequently brought illegally into Romania, with the damage exceeding 90,000 euros,' the release states.

Between March 6 and 7, 2025, police carried out several home-search warrants in Constanta County, seizing the ten stolen paintings along with various storage media and IT systems. The investigative activities led to the full discovery and recovery of the artworks and to documenting the criminal activity of the offenders. The case is being handled under the coordination of the Constanta Prosecutor's Office, with respect to four Romanian citizens, for aggravated theft and illegal import of cultural goods into Romania, the statement adds.

International cooperation with the Italian authorities took place through official judicial and police channels, with secure information exchange carried out via Europol instruments. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mihai Stoica; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)

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