Gang Members Arranged Return of Stolen Gottfried Lindauer Paintings from New Zealand Gallery In Secret Prison Deal

Two paintings by Gottfried Lindauer, valued around $490,000 US ($800,000 NZD) that were stolen in 2017 were returned to police through a secretive deal arranged by senior gang members, the New Zealand Herald reported Wednesday.The Māori portraits, Chieftainess Ngatai-Raure and Chief Ngatai-Raure, were painted by the Czech-New Zealand artist in 1884. The art works were stolen from the International Art Centre gallery and auction house in a “smash-and-grab” incident