Unesco using bogus figures to inflate the cost of stolen art to $10bn, say dealers
After drugs and arms, art makes up the world’s third largest black market
27 December 2020 • 9:30pm
Unesco was forced to pull images from an advertising campaign, after they were accused of making it appear that the items were stolen, when in fact they are legitimately held by the Metropolitan museum.
The figures are shocking - the trade in illegal art is worth $10billion and after drugs and arms it makes up the world’s third largest black market.
But the problem with claims by Unesco, art dealers say, is that they are simply not true.