French police discover stolen Picasso in drug bust

French police discovered a stolen Pablo Picasso painting valued at tens of millions of euros during a narcotics raid in a Paris suburb on Monday, June 15. The artwork, a portrait of the artist's lover Marie-Thérèse Walter, was found alongside a significant cache of drugs, cash, and luxury goods.

The discovery occurred during a search of a house in Champigny-sur-Marne, part of an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking. According to the Créteil public prosecutor's office, officers seized approximately 17 to 18 kilograms of cannabis resin, several thousand euros in cash, and designer clothing worth hundreds of thousands of euros. The painting was authenticated as an original Picasso from a 1937 series depicting Walter.

A 37-year-old man employed as a security guard at a Paris art storage facility was arrested. He reportedly admitted to stealing the painting, claiming his intent was to expose security flaws at the company. The artwork belongs to a private collector from Singapore and had been held in storage. Its theft had not been previously reported to the public.

Four individuals arrested in the operation appeared in court for an initial hearing on Friday, June 19. They face...