A painting by Pablo Picasso, dated 1966, was seized by Spanish authorities earlier this month, Ibiza airport on a flight from the Swiss city of Zurich.

The alleged smuggling attempt occurred in early July, although authorities only released details of the incident on Monday (18), after preliminary analysis suggested that the signed sketch was a genuine work by Picasso.

The work, valued at $460,000, was with a man who claimed it was a copy of the original work he had purchased, providing authorities with a "handwritten receipt for 1,500 Swiss francs (1500 euros/dollars)."

Nevertheless, the authorities searched the citizen's belongings and found a receipt for 50,000 Swiss francs (454,000 euros), presumed to be for the purchase of the painting entitled "Trois personnages."

An initial inspection by the Director of the Eivissa Museum of Contemporary Art in Ibiza found that the work is an original 'Picasso' with a market value "in line" with the value stated on the gallery's invoice.

The passenger could now face charges of smuggling and failure to declare valuables at a Spanish border, according to a police statement, cites Euronews.