Andrew Graham-Dixon confronts the worlds of high art and seriously organised crime to uncover the true story behind the greatest art heist of the 21st century. In December 2002 two priceless and historically important paintings were stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in a brutal and audacious robbery by experienced professional thieves.
But what happened to the masterpieces and what is their use to criminals who can never sell or display them on the open market? Andrew travels across Europe moving between the worlds of high art and low crime and meeting policemen prosecutors and art experts to uncover just how the world of violent and organised crime makes extensive use of stolen art - and how lost masterpieces like these can be successfully recovered.