Two Stolen Van Gogh Paintings Recovered in Italian Anti-Mafia Raid

Italian financial police (Guardia di Finanza) recovered two Vincent van Gogh paintings stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in December 2002. The works—The Beach of Scheveningen during a Storm (1882) and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen (1884)—were found during an anti-drug operation against the Camorra clan Amato-Pagano in Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples. They were hidden in a cavity under a floor in a farmhouse owned by Raffaele Imperiale, already imprisoned for drug trafficking. The paintings, valued at $100 million, were wrapped in cotton cloth and appear undamaged. Van Gogh Museum director Axel Rüger traveled to Naples for the handover, calling it the happiest day for the museum. The seizure marks the end of a 14-year search. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini praised the teamwork between the Naples prosecutor's office and the Guardia di Finanza, noting that organized crime uses art as investment and financing. Art theft in Italy is estimated at 600 incidents per year, with 40% from private collections and 44% from peripheral churches.