Spanish art forgery network busted

Ten members of a European network of art forgers have been arrested by Spanish police. Prints (of Dalí, Miró, Warhol, Chagall) and printing equipment have been seized. The network was based in Barcelona, Bilbao and Milan. All those arrested had been involved for three years and moved between auctions, art galleries, dealers, fairs and exhibitions. The price of each fake, which was accompanied by an equally fraudulent certificate, ranged from Ptas 450,000 (£1,700; $2,500) to in excess of Ptas l,000,000 (£3,823; $5,500). It was the management of the Joan Miró Foundation who alerted the police to the suspicious rise in the number of “Mirós” being brought into their offices for authentication.