German police seize fake Picassos in multi-million euro forgery raid

Authorities say a 77-year-old German tried to sell copies of works by renowned artists such as Rembrandt.

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Authorities in Bavaria said the main suspect is a 77-year-old German man who, along with 10 alleged accomplices, is facing charges of conspiracy and fraud.

Investigators first became suspicious when the septuagenarian ringleader attempted to sell two supposedly original paintings by Picasso on the art market.

He then wanted to sell De Staalmeesters, a famous oil painting by Dutch old master Rembrandt, for 120 million Swiss francs (£113m) - despite the original hanging in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA) said the forged De Staalmeesters - which is sometimes referred to as the Masters of the Clothmakers' Guild - was owned by an 84-year-old Swiss woman.