Bavarian police have seized millions of euros worth of forged art claiming to show works by Picasso, Rembrandt, and Kahlo in an operation spanning Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
Authorities in Bavaria said the main suspect is a 77-year-old German man who, along with 10 alleged accomplices, is facing charges of conspiracy and fraud.
Investigators first became suspicious when the septuagenarian ringleader attempted to sell two supposedly original paintings by Picasso on the art market.
He then sought to sell 'De Staalmeesters', a famous oil painting by Dutch old master Rembrandt, for 120 million Swiss francs (£113m) - even though the original is housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA) confirmed that the forged 'De Staalmeesters', owned by an 84-year-old Swiss woman, was seized during the operation.
Investigations reveal that after being inspected by an art expert, it was deemed a copy and not a lost masterpiece by Rembrandt van Rijn.
The painting was confiscated in Switzerland during a series of coordinated raids on October 15.
During these operations, a substantial number of suspected art forgeries were discovered, alongside various documents, records, mobile phones, and digital storage media.
The main suspect attempted to sell an additional 19 counterfeit artworks, falsely attributed to prominent artists, with selling prices ranging from €400,000 (£349,000) to €14m (£12.2m).
These included fakes of works by Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens, among others.
Assisting him was a 74-year-old German man, who allegedly prepared expert reports to confirm the artworks' authenticity.
Both have been arrested but remain conditionally released as the investigation continues. The police stated that all confiscated artworks will undergo detailed examination by experts and appraisers in the coming weeks.
