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Mastermind of Banksy Removal Could Face Years in Jail, Ukraine Says


FILE - The recovered work of street artist Banksy, which a group of people tried to steal from a wall of a residential building in the town of Hostomel, is held at a police office in the town of Boiarka, Kyiv region, Ukraine, Dec. 3, 2022.
FILE - The recovered work of street artist Banksy, which a group of people tried to steal from a wall of a residential building in the town of Hostomel, is held at a police office in the town of Boiarka, Kyiv region, Ukraine, Dec. 3, 2022.

The suspected mastermind behind the removal of a Banksy mural in a Ukrainian town could face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said Monday.

The artwork, depicting a woman in a gas mask and a dressing gown holding a fire extinguisher, was taken off a wall in the town of Hostomel on December 2, according to officials.

The ministry announced on its website that the man it believes orchestrated the operation had been handed a "suspicion notice."

The artwork by the renowned British artist had been valued at $243,900, the ministry statement said.

FILE - A mural in Banksy's signature style is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in the Ukrainian town of Hostomel, Nov. 13, 2022.
FILE - A mural in Banksy's signature style is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in the Ukrainian town of Hostomel, Nov. 13, 2022.

"The criminals tried to transport this graffiti with the help of wooden boards and polyethylene," it said.

"Thanks to the concern of citizens, the police and other security forces managed to arrest the criminals."

The mural was retrieved.

Banksy confirmed he had painted the mural and six others in places that were hit by heavy fighting after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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