The key facts

  • Picasso's engravings were stolen from the L'Amandier de Mougins restaurant on the night of October 1–2
  • Seven people aged 18 to 30 were detained; the damage exceeds €100,000
  • The stolen works were returned to their owners in 'perfect condition'

Theft solved within a month

In France, an operation into the theft of six engravings by Pablo Picasso has concluded: seven people were detained, and the stolen works were returned to their owners. This was reported by 20Minutes (summary — Gazeta.Ru).

How the theft took place

Picasso's works disappeared from the L'Amandier de Mougins restaurant in the village of Mougins near Cannes on the night of October 1–2. According to journalists, three people took part in the theft itself: two men wearing gloves and hoods broke into the establishment, while a third waited for his accomplices in a car outside. Gendarmes searched for the perpetrators for a month.

The detainees and the condition of the engravings

During the operation, seven people aged 18 to 30 were detained who, according to the publication, are members of organized criminal groups. The damage caused by their actions is estimated at more than €100,000. The gendarmerie added that the engravings were returned to their owners in 'perfect condition'.

Links to other cases

According to Gazeta.Ru, on November 3, two suspects were arrested after an attempted break-in at the Henri Matisse Museum in Nice. It was also previously reported that five people were detained on suspicion of stealing paintings from the Renoir Museum. Whether these episodes are connected to the case of the engravings from Mougins is not specified in the available publications.