THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Authorities apprehended a 23-year-old man on Tuesday, suspecting him of being involved in a failed art heist at an art gallery located in southern Netherlands. This incident involved the theft of four valuable Andy Warhol screenprints.
Last week, the art gallery in Oisterwijk was targeted by thieves who forcefully blew open the door and made off with two pieces from a renowned series of Warhol’s prints featuring the former queens of the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, and Swaziland, which is now called Eswatini. In a chaotic escape, the thieves left behind two other prints, which were found left in the street, extensively damaged.
Police raided locations in Oisterwijk and surrounding areas, including parts of Belgium, but did not disclose whether the stolen art had been recovered. A police spokeswoman refrained from providing further information on the matter.
Mark Peet Visser, the gallery owner, confirmed that the stolen artworks had yet to be located and mentioned that a restorer is currently evaluating the condition of the two damaged prints.
Visser previously stated that security footage from the heist revealed that the four prints were “damaged beyond repair.” He described the thieves as “amateurish,” noting they had to abandon two prints because they were too large to fit in their getaway vehicle.
The police have not disclosed the name of the suspect, in accordance with Dutch privacy regulations, but reported that he was arrested in Berkel-Enschot, which is just six kilometers (approximately four miles) away from Oisterwijk.
