Authorities in Ibiza seized a Picasso sketch worth more than $460,000, after a traveler failed to declare it to airport customs, according to a joint statement released by Spain’s Tax Agency and Civil Guard.
The unnamed passenger, who arrived on the Spanish island on a flight from Switzerland, initially attempted to pass the drawing off as a copy of little monetary value. But a gallery invoice discovered in his luggage appeared to identify the work as an original.
The alleged smuggling attempt took place in early July, though officials only released details of the incident on Monday after a preliminary analysis suggested that the signed sketch was a genuine Picasso work.
Spanish authorities said their Swiss counterparts had tipped them off about an airline passenger “carrying a work of art in circumstances (they) considered suspicious.” When the man attempted to pass through the green lane at Ibiza Airport, indicating he had nothing to declare on arrival, customs officers searched his luggage and uncovered the sketch.
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Source: CNN.com
