Parma, August 16, 2026 – Now there is also the video of the discovery of the works by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse, which a gang of Moldovans had stolen in just three minutes from the Magnani Rocca Foundation in Mamiano, in the province of Parma. The Carabinieri have indeed released the video of the raid inside the apartment of one of the gang members. The hideout where the masterpieces were hidden. In the footage, the officers are seen searching every room, confident that they have turned the tide of the investigation. And while the thieves were very skillful during the theft, they were less so in hiding the paintings, which the Carabinieri found in a room of the apartment: wrapped in sheets, two were leaning against the wall, the third was inside the casing of a television. In the 2 minutes and 33 seconds of video, the Carabinieri are seen searching every corner of the rooms and then the RIS men analyzing the works.
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Nine suspects and five detained
The investigations were carried out with a large deployment of personnel: about 100 Carabinieri were involved and brought the case to a resolution. Nine suspects, five of whom were detained, all Moldovans. They are Constantin, Mihail, and Andrei Ciobanu, aged 44, 31, and 45, Sergiu Matenco, 43, and Ion Rotari, 41. All residing in Parma, except Rotari, who lives in San Polo di Torrile.
Here are the three missing and recovered paintings: million-euro value
“Tasse et plat de cerises,” pencil and watercolor on white paper by Paul Cézanne (estimated value 6 million); “Les Poisson,” oil on canvas by Pierre Auguste Renoir, signed and dated bottom right “Renoir 1917,” with an estimated value of about 3 million; “Odalisque sur La Terrasse,” color aquatint on paper (velin d’arches) by Henri Matisse, with an estimated value of 20,000 euros.
How the gang was caught: thieves also betrayed by the fire extinguisher
The investigations were conducted using technology and traditional methods. This allowed the reconstruction of 14 thefts that would have been carried out by the gang or some of its members. But everything obviously started from the theft at the Magnani Rocca Foundation museum on March 23, 2026. Here, the analysis of the tools used, including a pickaxe and a fire extinguisher with the serial number erased, was decisive.
The latter was subjected to technical examinations by the RIS of Parma, which allowed the original serial number to be traced, establishing its origin, namely that it had been stolen from a condominium in Parma to which one of the alleged members of the association had access. Not only that, starting precisely from the tools like the pickaxe, the Carabinieri managed to trace the retailer and from there to gather clues against two of the detainees. Confirming the validity of the investigative theory was the digital footprint left by the 3rd group: on March 23, the day of the theft, the IP address of one of the suspects was traced while specifically consulting internet pages related to the recently stolen artworks.
From the investigations into art thefts, the Carabinieri reconstructed 14 episodes in which the suspects, or some of them, would be involved. Here they are.
A gun emerges
On April 25, 2026 in Parma, two suspects (Mihail and Constantin Ciobanu) were caught on surveillance cameras casually handling a gun, taken out of a duffel bag and finally hidden inside a garage; subsequent checks carried out at the Parma Police Headquarters – weapons office – certified the total absence of authorization titles for the possession of weapons by the two individuals.
Double night raid in Lesignano de’ Bagni
On April 29, 2026 in Lesignano de’ Bagni, the observation and control activity of the Carabinieri allowed the reconstruction of a double night raid by some suspects, confirmed by monitoring the vehicles used by the perpetrators and by unequivocal self-incriminating conversations intercepted from the alleged perpetrators of the thefts, who were offering the drills and chainsaws just stolen to a fence, hastily urging an accomplice to send photos of the goods via smartphone.
The white-striped jacket appears in a theft video
On May 1, 2026 in Parma, a distinctive white-striped jacket allowed the reconstruction of a theft against a local cooperative; after stealing a safe with over 1,700 euros in small bills, the group was followed at a distance and the cameras of a local fuel station allowed investigators to match the clothing of one of the suspects with that of the thief caught during the break-in, finding a perfect match. The definitive confirmation came shortly after directly from wiretaps where the alleged perpetrators, completely unaware of being listened to by the Carabinieri, were recorded counting coins and small bills, agreeing on how to divide the loot.
The heist in Noceto: heavy traces here too
On May 30, 2026 in Noceto, a new night raid was reconstructed step by step thanks to targeted technical checks. This happened at the expense of a company warehouse in the province, where the group broke in by breaking down the fence and then fled aboard a heavy vehicle stolen from the company. The technical activity carried out by the Carabinieri against the suspects, exploiting the most advanced technologies available, was what incriminated the perpetrators following the owner’s complaint.
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Failed theft at the fuel station
On June 3, 2026 in Collecchio, a theft attempt at a fuel station failed, during which the group tried to break open the safe box of a self-service pump, but the alleged perpetrators were identified through monitoring of the cars used and wiretaps: after being scared off by the alarm, two of the suspects were recorded discussing in tears the bruises suffered due to the hasty escape through the fields.
The Ecovillage sports facility in Collecchio
On June 11, 2026 in Collecchio at the Ecovillage sports facility, two thefts were committed, with the removal of money from the bar safe and the sports facility, amounting to about 3,000 euros.
The night of devastation in Parma
On June 24, 2026 in Parma, there was a real night of devastation: in the early hours of the 24th, a van was driven at full speed against the windows of a supermarket to steal the cash register, and that same evening, with the same vehicle, later found, there was a theft of slot machines in another bar. Again, the analysis of surveillance systems allowed finding important clues suggesting that some of the current suspects were responsible for the two criminal episodes, clues also supported by wiretapping activities that recorded the euphoria of the perpetrators after the thefts.
Stolen food items
On July 1, in Parma, via Langhirano, a theft of numerous food items was committed at the company Zabo Srl, causing damage of over 1,000 euros including damage to the structure.
The safe from the self-service restaurant at the University Campus
On July 2, 2026 at the University Campus venue, the safe from the self-service restaurant managed by the company Camst was stolen, containing about 3,600 euros. On this occasion, technical activities recorded the complaints of the perpetrators who had gotten muddy.
Another safe but from a supermarket
On July 20, 2026 in Castelnovo ne’ Monti (Reggio Emilia), the theft of a safe was reported at a well-known supermarket in the town containing about 16,000 euros; surveillance system images showed the use of a van, found to be stolen in the same municipality. Surveillance systems and monitoring of the subjects also allowed gathering serious, precise, and consistent evidence against some alleged members of the group. The theft of a van parked near the supermarket, used to carry out the heist, was also documented.
Assault on the ATM with a stolen tractor
On July 28 in Fontevivo, the same individuals, after stealing a tractor from a nearby farmhouse, attempted to steal an ATM at the Admiral Slot Hall located on Via Emilia in Fontevivo. The heist failed due to the prompt intervention of a Carabinieri patrol. On this occasion, the perpetrators abandoned the stolen van in Vetto on which they had applied license plates stolen on the evening of July 27 in Parma.
Construction companies targeted
On August 3, in Parma, via Budellungo, a theft was committed at two companies operating on the construction site, stealing machinery and tools worth over 10,000 euros.
Slot machines emptied at the bocce club
On August 8 in Parma, at via Anselmi no. 20, at the Bocciofila Aquila Association, a theft was committed during which the contents of 4 slot machines as well as bottles of wine were stolen; in this case, evidence was collected through video recording, which documented the phases of counting and dividing the loot.
