The Netherlands has released the identity of a man whose body was fished out of the IJ River in Amsterdam 10 years ago. It turned out to be an art dealer from Russia Alexander Levin, at the time of his death he was 65 years old. According to De Telegraaf, the art dealer was based in Amsterdam in 1999 and was convicted of art smuggling. In April 2021, the police managed to identify the man. However, they decided to make the information public only now, as the police hope that Levin's relatives will get in touch with her.
What is known about Levin and his death
According to the Dutch news agency ANP, as well as De Telegraaf, Levin's body, wrapped in film, was discovered by a passerby on January 30, 2013. For a long time they could not identify him – his head was missing, as well as his arms and legs. Fingerprint identification was not possible, writes De Telegraaf.
“Only in 2021, after contacting Interpol, did we receive a DNA match. In Russia, it turned out that the man's family had reported him missing, and the DNA was handed over. It turned out to be Alexander Levin. Dealer in Russian icons and specialist in this field. One of the experts in the Netherlands,” says team leader Erkan from the Amsterdam department for investigating “hanging” cases.
It also turned out that Levin is known to the Dutch law enforcement agencies. In 1998, a Russian was stopped by customs at Schiphol Airport, and a stolen early 18th-century marine atlas by the famous publisher and cartographer Johannes van Keulen was found in his possession. He also had drawings from the 17th century by the French artist Jacques Callot and 24 paintings. Levin was sentenced to ten months in prison in 1999 for possession of stolen goods and smuggling. As De Telegraaf found out, this was the fifth time he had been caught smuggling art.
“Levin traveled the world but stayed regularly in Amsterdam. He also used a warehouse here, ”law enforcement agencies told the publication. “He was in the antiques business in St. Petersburg.”
The art dealer's flight data showed that on January 17, 2013, he landed in Schiphol, flying in from St. Petersburg. The next day Levin was to fly to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). But the plane took off without the icon painter, who by that time was probably no longer alive.
Law enforcement officers also told the publication that after the identification, they actively worked together with Russian investigators who helped to conduct the case. It turned out that after the death of an art dealer, someone tried to transfer his assets to the accounts of another person, whose identity is not specified. However, cooperation became more difficult after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. De Telegraaf also notes that two people were detained on suspicion of involvement in the murder, but they were released due to lack of evidence. Both men were Levin's contacts and lived in Amsterdam, but they were of Russian origin. According to Dutch law enforcement agencies, one of the motives for the murder could be extortion.