11.   Officials said the suspects had contacted one art trafficker to fence the stolen paintings, and were turned down.

12.   On another case, again posing as an art appraiser, he went to a hotel room to inspect a stolen painting.

13.   Stolen paintings, to be exact.

14.   The informant then told Mashberg the rest of the stolen paintings also were there.

15.   The police, opening the package, discovered the stolen paintings.

16.   Owners of the Galeria Lopez Quiroga refused to say who the owners of the stolen paintings were.

17.   But after the stolen painting was recovered and the thief arrested, police turned their attention to the Amber Room offer.

18.   Details of the stolen paintings have been passed to Interpol.

19.   Museum officials described the stolen painting as a relatively minor work by Turpin de Crisse.

20.   Police superintendent Leif Jennekvist said police have received five to six photos of the stolen paintings with newspapers showing the date the photos were taken.