Art Trafficking

2. Unauthorized export of artwork or cultural property.
3. A common motivation for stealing or looting art.
8. The documented history of ownership that helps determine an artwork’s authenticity and legality.
9. Country with the highest number of art thefts reported globally each year.
12. Large-scale seizure of cultural heritage and valuables during armed conflicts or occupations.
15. Using art transactions to disguise illegal income.
16. Many artifacts were removed long ago with falsified or missing paperwork, making later buyers overlook verifying origin.
18. The illegal excavation and removal of artifacts from protected historical sites.
21. The most famous artwork ever stolen, taken from the Louvre in 1911.

1. Ancient coins, pottery, or relics sold illegally.
2. The Boston museum targeted in the 1990 heist of Vermeer and Rembrandt paintings.
4. Copying famous works and selling them as originals.
5. Global treaty banning the illicit import and export of cultural property.
6. Wars and political conflicts can lead to the widespread theft and looting of cultural treasures from affected countries.
7. The act of stealing artwork from museums, galleries, or private collections.
10. Database maintained by the FBI to help law enforcement worldwide identify and recover stolen artworks.
11. The online sale and transfer of stolen or forged artworks through websites, dark web markets, or encrypted platforms.
13. The illegal movement of cultural property across borders.
14. International police organization that helps recover stolen art.
17. Unauthorized excavation or removal of cultural property, especially during war or political instability.
19. The use of stolen art as security or leverage in criminal networks.
20. The illegal trade of art and cultural property.