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The art detective who rescued the world's stolen treasures

Robert Wittman went undercover as a shady art dealer; a philanthropist; and an authenticator for a Russian mob in order to recover hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of art.

What does a stolen Picasso, a missing Rembrandt and the second largest crystal ball in the world have in common? They have all been rescued by the FBI's top art detective: Robert King Wittman. Bob was uniquely suited to infiltrate the criminal art world, having grown up in his dad's South East Asian antique shops - he knew how to make an art deal.

Bob dreamt of becoming an undercover investigator solving crime, just like his favourite T.V. show, Miami Vice. He joined the FBI in his early 30s but instead of chasing the bad guys in Miami, he was on a truck hijacking squad. After recovering a unique and ancient crystal ball, he became the go-to guy for tracing stolen cultural property.

Bob went on to track down $300 million of stolen and art and artefacts, before setting up his own private art recovery and security business. He's the author of two books: "How I Went Undercover to Rescue The World's Stolen Treasures - PRICELESS" and "The DEVIL'S DIARY: Alfred Rosenberg and The Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich".

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Sarah Kendal

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee" by Rembrandt featured on a poster displayed during a FBI press conference about an art heist investigation. Photo credit: Getty Images. )

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41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Tue 25 Mar 2025 12:06GMT
  • Tue 25 Mar 2025 18:06GMT
  • Tue 25 Mar 2025 23:06GMT
  • Wed 26 Mar 2025 03:06GMT

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