Picasso drawing valued more than €450,000 was seized by Spanish customs agents at the airport in Ibiza.

Pablo Picasso was one of the most well-known artists of the 20th century, and practically every art fan in the world regards his works as modern classics. Picasso’s artwork has graced the walls of numerous renowned art galleries over the years, and the buyers have paid enormous prices for it. However, it is also one of the most trafficked works of art in the world. At the Ibiza Airport, Spanish customs officials seized a Picasso sketch valued at more than €450,000. The ‘Trois Personnages’ sketch from 1966 was discovered in the possession of a man who was travelling from Zurich, Switzerland, according to the official statement.

The officials detained the man after receiving information about a possible smuggling attempt from their Swiss counterparts, according to The Guardian. As a result of failing to declare the asset when entering Spain from Switzerland, the guy will now be charged with smuggling.

When the suspect was questioned by the Spanish authorities, he claimed that the object was a replica of a Picasso painting and even produced a receipt for 1,500 Swiss francs (£1280) as proof of purchase.

However, a closer examination of the sketch and a secret receipt discovered in the suitcase proved that it was the original sketch, which had an art market worth of more than €454,000.

According to a preliminary analysis carried out by art experts, the sketch was indeed a work by the Spanish painter and ‘the price charged by the gallery is in line with the market price’, they said.