In the trial of the spectacular theft of jewels from the Dresden Green Vault, most of the suspects want to break their silence on Tuesday. This was preceded by a so-called deal between all those involved in the process – and the return of a large part of the loot.
Four of the six defendants agreed to the deal and announced statements for Tuesday. “The court expects that confessions will be made,” said a spokesman for the district court. A suspect denies his involvement in the spectacular burglary and refers to an alibi. How the sixth defendant will behave is still unclear.
The 23- to 29-year-olds have had to answer for aggravated gang theft, arson and particularly aggravated arson for almost a year. The Germans are brothers and cousins from a well-known Arab family in Berlin. Two of them are currently serving their youth sentences for stealing the 100-kilo gold coin from Berlin’s Bode Museum in 2017.
Spectacular theft with an ax
The burglary of the Saxon Treasury Museum on November 25, 2019 was one of the most spectacular art thefts in Germany and also made international headlines. Two perpetrators broke into the residential palace through a window that had been prepared unnoticed days earlier, hacked holes in the display case with the most magnificent valuables with an ax and ripped out everything they could get their hands on. The whole thing lasted only a few minutes, when the police arrived, the thieves and their loot had disappeared.
According to the indictment, they stole 21 pieces of jewelry made of diamonds and brilliants with a total value of over 113 million euros. In addition, they are said to have left more than one million euros in property damage. A getaway car was set on fire in the underground car park of a residential building to cover up tracks.
After exploratory talks, most of the jewelry had been returned via one of the defenders just before Christmas, partially damaged and incomplete. However, for the deal between the public prosecutor’s office, the defense and the court, which promises a reduced sentence, the accused must provide specific information about the coup and their involvement.
