Police arrested and charged a man suspected of links to the 2004 theft of the iconic painting "The Scream" on expressed hope of recovering the 1893 masterpiece by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch.
The Scream
The pictures are still missing, but Oslo police said in a statement that the arrest could lead to their recovery.
"The Oslo police district does not rule out more arrests in the case," it said.
"The police are optimistic that the investigation will produce results and that the pictures will be brought back to the Munch Museum."
It said the man was in his 30s, but did not identify him further or outline why they are connecting him to the theft.
He would be questioned and jailed over the weekend, the statement said.
The pictures are among Munch's best-known, even though he produced several versions of both works and are millions of euros.
and another Munch painting
Madonna
were stolen by armed robbers in a bold daytime raid on an Oslo art museum in August.