Stolen Picasso painting recovered in police sting

Turkish officers posed as buyers for abstract nude, which was stolen in New York

Turkish police hold up an original painting by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in Istanbul. Photograph: STR/AFP/Getty Images

Sun Jan 31 2016 - 14:01

Turkish police have recovered a Picasso oil painting in a sting operation in Istanbul.

The state-run Anadolu Agency reported that on Saturday police posed as buyers for the painting and detained two suspects who tried to sell it for $8 million (about €7.4 million).

Anadolu said the painting, which shows an abstract nude female figure brushing her hair, is an authentic work by Pablo Picasso and was stolen from a woman in New York.

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However, a statement from Istanbul police said the painting has not been authenticated yet.

As a result, the painting must be sent to Istanbul's Mimar Sinan University to be examined, Anadolu reported.

PA

Mimar Sinan University Pablo Picasso