Greece Establishes Art Crime Unit to Tackle Forgery and Trafficking
Greece has enacted a new law aimed at combating art crime, including forgery, trafficking, and vandalism. The law introduces harsher penalties for offenders, with fines reaching up to €300,000 and prison sentences extending to 10 years. A specialized department within the Ministry of Culture will focus on enforcement, addressing offenses such as fake artworks and antiquities trafficking. This move follows a series of forgery scandals and acts of vandalism, including the bust of an art forgery ring in Thessaloniki and the arrest of a Greek dealer for selling fake artworks on television. The law expands penalties to cover all acts associated with art fraud, including creating, counterfeiting, displaying, trafficking, and selling forged works. Possession with intent to distribute is now criminalized, and penalties are increased for organized criminal networks or significant financial losses. 
