Carabinieri Art Squad

The Carabinieri Art Squad, formally the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and often called the Carabinieri T.P.C., is the branch of the Italian Carabinieri responsible for combatting art and antiquities crimes, and is viewed as an experienced and efficient task force. Its first form, the Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Artistico, was founded by General Arnaldo Ferrara on 3 May 1969 and was the first specialist police force in the world in this field. The force has four sections covering archaeology, antique dealing, fakes and contemporary art, is led by a colonel, and is headquartered in Rome with twelve regional offices. It is recorded here as a criminal justice institution.