Loud stolen from the Cairo museum paintings by Van Gogh worth $ 55 million August 21 occurred due to faulty alarm systems and surveillance cameras (worked only 7 of the 43 Chambers) . Shortly before that, August 18, has been committed yet another robbery - this time in Bruges (Belgium). The Museum of Belfort offender just put in a bag 10-pound sculpture by Salvador Dali worth 100 thousand euros and freely left the building.

According to Interpol, in the database which contains information on more than 35.5 thousand wanted works of art, leaders in the number of thefts, France and Italy. Over the past 15 years in France on average each year 35 robberies of museums and private collections, and in 1998 the activity of thieves rose to 47 robberies.

Among the most high-profile incidents in recent years - the theft of two paintings and a drawing by Picasso from the villa of his granddaughter Diana Vidmayer (Diana Widmaier) in late February 2007. Late-night burglars entered the building using a forged key and cut out pictures from their frames are so quiet that the hostess did not even wake up. No fingerprints, no clues.

In May 2010 the world shook the robbery of the Paris museum of modern art: the five most valuable stolen paintings worth 100 million euros, including works by Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani. criminals have penetrated through the window of a basement with a faulty alarm. They acted professionally: he was well known for night mode bypasses the protection, so they go unnoticed. For the invasion was chosen the most opportune moment - when changing the exposure when the level of protection is much lower. Took only the most valuable.

Who is behind the robberies? That are able to oppose the onslaught of cultural institutions such criminal element? And the most interesting question: how criminals sells easily recognizable works of art? Answers to these and other questions trying to find Doreen Carvajal (Doreen Carvajal) in the article in the The New York Times.

All the experts agree on one thing: there is an extensive underworld, in which cells communicate information about potential buyers and planned to steal the works. The purpose of long study, before moving on to take decisive action. According to specialists in art crime, to steal the product is relatively simple. Much more difficult it then sell it. Usually the criminals caught in the moment of sale, they are the best thieves, rather than businessmen.

FBI agent Robert Wittmann (Robert Wittman) for his 20-year career opened many art crimes (see about him : « undercover FBI agents investigating the theft of works of art » and « The head of the FBI art squad" to retire ». - AI .) . In his book, "Priceless» («Priceless»), he shares his memories of the most exciting investigations. In particular, the criminal gang in the south of France, committed the robbery Arts Jules Cheret museum in Nice. In August 2007, five gunmen, broke into the building of the museum in broad daylight, just four minutes stole paintings by Monet, Sisley and two works by Jan Brueghel. Wittmann managed to get out on the trail of the gang. Posing as rich an expert on the art of Philadelphia, he got in touch with the robbers. It was about buying stolen in a nice Monet. According to the memoirs Wittmann, one of the criminals began to boast that they are seven months out feelers to the theft of the paintings: "They are very proud of themselves, they said that they" worked hard "to get those pictures».

"Mr. Wittmann and other FBI agents undercover started negotiations with a group of Nice, which included the store manager of motorcycles and a bulldozer driver, the purchase of paintings by Monet and three other paintings from the Museum of Cheret. The operation took place on a yacht near Miami. "A potential buyer" Wittmann even reported the existence of a list of the 75 stolen works, which can be purchased. However, the agent did not see this roster - the criminals have been arrested in the case of a robbery in Nice.

believes Wittmann, some of the criminal gangs may be linked to the Corsican mafia groups Brise de Mer. French police involvement in the Corsican Mafia considers controversial. There is no direct evidence, the more that art is not included in the specialization of Brise de Mer.

Most of them are rather simple crooks, operating independently from each other. Robert Wittmann: "Cells are scattered throughout the country. One cell knows that the other was doing. If the group in Marseilles finds a buyer, it may point to another cell. No one specializes in something specific. It's just a thief ».

detective from Scotland Yard, a retired Charles Hill (Charles Hill), now earns a private in tracing stolen works of art, compares the system of the underworld with DNA:" It's like links the same chain. Many groups in the leading countries of Europe have links with criminals Belgium and Holland, which often hide stolen. Charles Hill managed to find the painting "Scream" by Edvard Munch stolen in 1994 from the National Gallery in Oslo, and the Vermeer painting, stolen by Irish gangsters with a private villa in England.

As for paintings Villa Picasso's granddaughter Diana Vidmayer, they managed to find in August 2009. And on their trail by Robert Wittmann attacked while investigating a robbery of the Museum of Cheret. At Wittmann, "potential buyers" from Philadelphia, went professional criminal from France, Jean Bernard Ternyus (Bernard Jean Ternus) and his accomplice. They talked to him about the possibility of purchasing two paintings by Picasso stolen from the home of Diana Vidmayer.

not known whether Mr Ternyus effectively connected with a gang that committed the burglary at home of Diana Vidmayer, but Robert Wittmann said the receipt of a criminal e-mails with pictures of stolen paintings by Picasso on the background of the newspaper, published a week after the robbery. Whatever it was, Ternyus now serving time in prison, Big Spring, Texas.

Sami paintings were discovered in August 2009. Anonymous said their place of shelter. Rogues were so accurate that little damaged blade. There were only small cracks in the paint by rolling canvases.

Although the paintings are returned, but criminals who have stolen our villa Diana Vidmayer, have not been found. In June 2010 police arrested three suspected accomplices. However, they are not charged in the robbery, but only in concealing stolen property, because no fingerprints, no DNA traces of these people at the crime scene were found.

Court, the beginning of which was postponed due to illness of one of the defendants, will begin on September 21 this year. Perhaps the process will open some of the details of the robbery, and generally give new information on the mechanisms of art crime. Until all those arrested deny any involvement.

As the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the management has still not received any ransom demands, and there is no guarantee that the five most valuable paintings will discover: so far police structures and private investigators know little about the mechanisms of infinitely develop the art of crime and sales of stolen works of art.

France since these high-profile crimes has increased security at museums, but remains unresolved is another problem: the EU standards the maximum penalty for such crimes, regardless of what was stolen is five years imprisonment. And if a court session in September will be convicted, then their term of imprisonment is unlikely to exceed two years.

material was prepared by Maria Onuchina, AI

Sources: nytimes.com , artinvestment.ru