Greece Creates New Art Crime Unit to Combat Forgery and Trafficking
Artnet News reported that Greece approved a new law in January creating a specialized art-crime department within the Ministry of Culture to address forgery and antiquities trafficking, with tougher penalties including fines up to €300,000 (about $350,000) and prison sentences of up to 10 years for the most serious cases. Under the updated rules, penalties apply not only when a sale occurs but also to creating, counterfeiting, displaying, trafficking, and selling forged works, and possession with “intent to distribute” is now criminalized; the law also covers artworks with falsified provenance, date, or condition documents. Independent forgers may face fines from €5,000 ($5,860) to €120,000 ($140,000) and prison from six months to five years, with higher penalties for organized networks or losses exceeding €120,000. The changes follow cases including a 2024 bust of a forgery ring operating at least five studios in Thessaloniki and the recent arrest of dealer and TV personality Giorgos Tsagarakis on suspicion of selling fakes on live television; art-crime expert Richard Ellis welcomed the update but warned enforcement will be difficult due to transnational trafficking networks.
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This story was covered in Museum Power Shifts and Art Crime Crackdowns