From correspondents in Americas, 01:30 AM IST

Sao Paulo, May 14 (EFE) The paintings of some renowned Brazilian artists which were stolen over the weekend from a private collection in Sao Paulo have been returned, the Brazilian police have said.

The paintings by artists Candido Portinari, Tarsila do Amaral and Orlando Teruz were stolen Sunday by a group of about 20 heavily armed men wearing police uniforms.

But the paintings - Portinari's 'O Cangaceiro' and 'Retrato de Maria,' Do Amaral's 'Figura em Azul' (1923) and Teruz's 'Crucificacao de Jesus' - were left by the railroad tracks near the offices of the a TV channel.

The TV station's security guards were told by an anonymous caller exactly where the paintings had been left and immediately notified the police.

The paintings, which are worth some $1.4 million, will be examined by an expert to make sure they are authentic.

Police found a bag next to the paintings that contained jewelry that was also stolen Sunday from the residence of a hotel industry executive.

In January this year, police recovered 'Portrait of Suzanne Bloch' by Picasso and 'Coffee Laborer' by Brazilian Candido Portinari, which had been stolen from the Sao Paulo Museu de Arte.

Six months later, four artworks were stolen from the Pinacoteca state art gallery in Sao Paulo.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)