The Surete du Quebec and the RCMP have formed the first specialized unit in Canada to fight art thieves and counterfeiters, and both forces are already touting the success of the project.
Determined to reduce a growing international problem, the forces quietly joined last fall to form a permanent four-member squad of investigators aided by Canada Border Services and the international law-enforcement network Interpol.
On Tuesday, the new squad displayed some of the stolen and fake works recovered from two major busts in Quebec so far.
Paintings seized
Last week the art unit arrested and charged Richard McClintock, 50, and seized 80 counterfeit paintings with a market value of $1.5 million.
They were mostly copies of work by renowned Quebec artists like Jean-Paul Riopelle and Paul-Emile Borduas that were sold to galleries across Quebec.
"They were of good quality and good enough quality that art merchants were fooled by it," said RCMP Insp. Stephane Bonin.
Pilfered sculptures
Two months ago, the special investigators recovered monuments and bronze sculptures stolen from parks, institutions and buildings under construction.
Christian Boyer, 28, of Laval, faces 75 criminal charges.
Growing problem
The phenomenon of art theft is emerging behind drugs and guns as a leading international crime, say police.
The SQ alone says it investigated 450 cases of stolen or counterfeit art the past five years, seizing pieces of art and arresting 20 people.
Theft alerts
Among the initiatives of the new SQ-RCMP squad is an international art alert to 50,000 people in the market. The logic is that tipping off thousands of art dealers around the world will diminish the value of the stolen goods and discourage reselling.
The new SQ-RCMP unit promises to lend its expertise to other Canadian police forces as well.
