Sensational discovery in Paris: Police discover Picasso during drug raid

Paris – They were looking for drugs and suddenly found a Picasso: During a raid in the greater Paris area, investigators discovered a stolen work of art by the Spanish painter. The painting apparently shows his muse Marie-Thérèse Walter. The spectacular find was not the police’s actual goal. Drug investigators had been targeting a 37-year-old for months.

The man worked as a security guard at a Paris company that Artworks and other valuables are stored. He and three other men are said to have dealt in drugs.

Drug raid leads to Picasso discovery

When investigators finally searched his aunt’s house, they came across the painting. She gave the name of the painting police not. However, it is said to be worth 12 to 15 million euros and shows Marie-Thérèse Walter. Walter was 17 years old when she was approached by the then 45-year-old Pablo Picasso (1881–1973). The painter was fascinated by her and repeatedly portrayed her throughout their long-term romance.

The owner thought the Picasso was safe

As the police union announced, the portrait was deposited in a storage facility. According to Le Parisien, the owner is a woman from Singapore. She believed the plant was safe there. During the course of the investigation, the man admitted to stealing the painting from storage. According to the French daily Le Parisien, he told officials that he wanted to “point out security gaps in the company.”

Drugs, designer fashion and money were also found

Particularly explosive: The theft was never made public. It is also unclear whether anyone even noticed that the picture was missing. The public prosecutor simply stated that the painting was “during a search in the course of an investigation Drug trafficking“has been discovered.

According to the British newspaper, the officers discovered the Picasso next to it „The Times“ also 17 kilograms of cannabis. They also found luxury clothing worth 200,000 euros and several thousand euros in cash. Now the judiciary is investigating theft and stolen goods in addition to trafficking in drugs.