Federal Police investigate illegal sale of Peruvian art in Rio de Janeiro

The Brazilian Federal Police launched ‘Operation Peabiru’ in Rio de Janeiro to investigate the illegal sale of 17th-century Peruvian artworks. The operation follows a notification from the National Police of Peru regarding the offering of sacred paintings, including ‘Magnífico Señor de los Temblores – Escuela Cusqueña, Siglo XVII’ and ‘La Coronación de la Virgen por la Santísima Trinidad’, on an international art trading platform.

Authorities executed search and seizure warrants in the Alto da Boa Vista neighborhood, targeting an antiquity and art trading company. Investigators seized the paintings, electronic devices, and documents related to the acquisition, transport, and importation of the pieces. The Ministry of Culture of Peru identified the works as part of the Peruvian National Cultural Heritage, noting they could not be removed from the country without specific state authorization.

The investigation is looking into crimes of qualified receiving and smuggling. This action is part of an international police cooperation effort between Brazil and Peru to combat the trafficking of cultural goods and recover foreign historical and artistic heritage, in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention.