THE HAGUE // Dutch police have recovered eight valuable paintings, including works by Renoir and Pissaro, 22 years after they were stolen from a gallery. Prosecutors say three suspects have been arrested - a 45-year-old German man who lives in Dubai, his 62-year-old mother and a 66-year-old man. Their identities have not been released. The paintings were stolen from the Noortman gallery in the southern city of Maastricht in 1987. The National Prosecutors Office said in a statement posted on its website that police tracked down the works after an attempt was made to sell them to the insurance company that paid out 5 million guilders (US$2.9m) for the paintings after the theft.
"An expert will establish their value," the statement said. The gallery could not be reached for comment. Prosecutors said they are investigating where the paintings have been since their disappearance. Six were found in the southern town of Valkenburg and two more in the nearby village of Walem, where one of the suspects lives. * AP
