Battle To Recover Stolen Paintings

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30035, 21 January 1963, Page 11

Battle To Recover Stolen Paintings

(N.Z Pnn CARACAS (Venezuela), January 20. Five stolen paintings valued at 650,000 dollars (£290,120) were recovered by police last night in a wild gun battle with two university students and a girt companion.

The trio were transporting the masterpieces in furniture boxes marked “fragde—handle with care." Officiate said all the five paintings, which were rtolen last Wednesday in a brazen theft by 16 aati-Goveroment te.-rwists, were recovered “in perfect ecx-Xtataon.’’ The works by Picasso, Van Gogh. Gauguin. Braque and Ceaacme had been lent by the French Government far showing here as a goodwill gesture, the Associated Press ’’’ttdice said the mastermecee were stolen to embarrass toe Government of Preeidect Romuto Betancourt aa pari of a violent Communite campaign Students Wounded The two male university students, aged 20 and 23. were wounded in the gun battle, captured and sent to hospital, police reported. They said the gfci aieo was captured but escaped w4wn the two students grappled w ’* pd*? ‘ aa . pa ?f oi 2E; Police intercepted the too after receiving e tip that the stolen works were to be moved from one tude-otd to another. „ Fifty patrol care were dtepatehed to prowl the streets Edooe of town spotted the wanted car to ttteim C T?e"toree occupants opened fire, police mid. but finaßy surrendered as retaforcemeats rushed them.

The gH escaped by jumping 12ft from an over-pass into a small ravine.

Authorities announced several hours earlier the arrert of a Comm i mite labour official as the suspected ringleader of the Wednesday raid on the M'iseum of Fine Arts, width triggered a fresh wave of anti-government terrorism.