Frankfurt art theft (1994)

Two of the thieves and a dealer were apprehended quickly, but they refused to reveal the location of the paintings and the identity of the people who had ordered the theft.

A new deal for purchase of the paintings was set up, but it broke down in the last minute when Stevo's negotiator demanded a doubling of the advance payment.

The director of Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota, after having received green light from his supervisory board and justice officials, then started a secret plan to buy back the paintings, known as "Operation Cobalt".

An undercover agent from Scotland Yard contacted Edgar Liebrucks, and in late 1999 the lawyer began to negotiate with the Mafia on behalf of Tate.

[2] The deal for the first painting went through, Liebrucks received about 750,000 Marks as compensation by Tate,[2] and Shade and Darkness returned to London in July 2000.

The Tate Gallery then bought the remaining Turner painting for 2 million euros; it returned to London around Christmas 2002.

Responding to a BBC documentary on the case, officials of the Tate Gallery insisted that all payments were cleared ahead of times with German and British authorities, and the millions were not paid to criminals as ransom, but for "information that led to the recovery of the paintings".

The Kunsthalle had received 1.9 million euros from its insurer to compensate for the theft; this money had to be returned upon recovery of the painting.