ART

His name is not Clouseau, but a gendarme in Valence, France, is being credited with cracking a multimillion-dollar Salvador Dali-forging ring. Christian Roumegoux, who spends his spare time in art galleries seeking rare prints, made a chance visit to a gallery in Valence and saw a signed Dali print dating from 1987--even though the Spanish master allegedly had signed no works since 1980. Roumegoux’s discovery led to the arrest of Gilbert Hamon--once Dali’s private secretary and suspected to be the head of the ring--and the discovery of about 70,000 fake Dalis worth some $50 million. Police said the case against Hamon and his suspected accomplices is complicated by the fact that Dali had authorized his former secretary to print certain plates.