Facts About the Art Trade, Terrorism and the Size of the Illicit Marke

Tim van Lit, report author

"Important Study Commissioned by Dutch National Police Contradicts Media Hoax" Committee for Cultural Property August 24, 2017.

 Phony claims about involvement of the legitimate art trade with ISIS, and about art dealers supporting terrorism continue to be fed to the media, despite reputable, solid analysis that contradicts these false allegations. The most comprehensive resource is a 78 page report commissioned by commissioned by the Dutch National Police, Central Investigation Unit, War Crimes Unit: Cultural Property, War Crimes and Islamic State – Destruction, plunder and trafficking of cultural property and heritage by Islamic State in Syria and Iraq – a war crimes perspective (2016).

The Dutch National Police report states: “Although it seems, based on main stream media, as if all art and antique dealers are black market dealers, [...]  no evidence that this happens on a large scale is found. The legal trade could not be linked to financing IS based on this research.”