The Netherlands has become a warehouse for stolen works of art, the head of Art Loss Register, the world's largest database for stolen art, said in an interview published Monday. "The Netherlands is a major hub for art thieves, on the one hand because the police has done away with its databse in this sector and on the other hand because the stolen works automatically become the property of a thief after a number of years," Julian Radcliffe told the daily Volskrant.
Under Dutch legislation, someone who steals art from a private collection becomes the rightful owner of the stolen object after 20 years because of the statue of limitations.
The statute is extended to 30 years when it concerns state-owned works of art.
Radcliffe said the southern part of The Netherlands, near the Belgian border, has become a prized location for art thieves to stock their loot which comes mainly from Scandinavian countries as well as Germany and Russia.
Art Loss Register is the world's largest database of stolen art and antiques dedicated to their recovery. Radcliffe said the British-based outfit was contemplating opening a subsidiary in Amsterdam.
On January 10, several paintings worth some 10 million euros (13 million dollars) were stolen in a weekend break-in at a Dutch museum in the northern townof Hoon.