Police arrest Italian drug trafficker connected to stolen Vincent Van Gogh paintings

Imperiale is a prominent figure in an international drug trafficking and money laundering ring.

According to a police statement on Thursday, a suspected Italian drug trafficker who police believe may have bought two stolen Vincent Van Gogh paintings has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Raffaele Imperiale, 46, was arrested in Dubai on August 4 by local authorities, who cooperated with the Italian police. He had been on the run since 2016 and Italy had included him on the list of its most dangerous fugitives.

In 2016, two Van Gogh paintings stolen in Amsterdam in 2002 – "Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen" and "View of the Sea at Scheveningen" – were found by police in a villa Imperiale owned near Naples.

Each painting was worth an estimated 50 million euros ($58 million), investigators said after recovering them.

Imperiale is a prominent figure in an international drug trafficking and money laundering ring, according to police, and has close contact with the Camorra mafia gang based in Naples, in southern Italy.

"An excellent result which once again demonstrates the ability of our police forces to fight crime," Italy Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said.

According to Italian media reports citing police, the Italian government is seeking to complete Imperiale's extradition as soon as possible. Imperiale is now detained in the United Arab Emirates.