In the course of the investigation into the theft of jewels from the historic Green Vault in Dresden, information in the confession of a suspect triggered another police operation in Berlin.
Police divers searched a part of the Spree in Spandau, as a spokesman for the Dresden public prosecutor said on request. Some tools were found. Whether they are connected to the burglary in the Saxon Treasury Museum still has to be checked. A total of 25 officers were involved in the operation, including Berlin police divers and the water police. The newspaper "B.Z." had reported about it.
A hydraulic spreading and cutting device that had apparently been taken out of the water could be seen in photos from the riverbank at the Ruhleben waste-to-energy plant. The "B.Z" wrote of four found hydraulic spreaders. Such devices are actually used by fire brigades to cut open cars after accidents. In recent years, they have often been stolen from fire stations and used in burglaries to break out or cut through window bars.
Deployment follows testimony of a defendant
A 26-year-old defendant said in his confession in court on Tuesday that he threw a stolen hydraulic shears intended for the burglary in Dresden into the Spree in July 2019 because he wanted to get out of the project. The lattice in front of the entry window at the Residenzschloss was then severed with an identical tool.
Just a few weeks ago, investigators were looking for the blade of the sword from the diamond rose set in the shipping canal in Berlin-Neukölln. The officers had previously received a tip from the accused. However, the blade was not found during a search by police divers from several federal states over the two Christmas holidays. But they found, among other things, several cash boxes – one of them was costume jewellery.
The break-in into the famous Saxon Treasury Museum on the morning of November 25, 2019 was one of the most spectacular art thefts in Germany. Two perpetrators broke into the residential palace through the window, which had been prepared unnoticed days earlier, punched holes in the showcase with the most magnificent valuables with an ax and ripped out everything they could get their hands on.
Another confession is to follow
Since the end of January 2022, six Germans between the ages of 23 and 29 from a well-known large Berlin family of Arabic origin have had to answer for serious gang theft, arson and particularly serious arson. According to the indictment, they stole 21 pieces of jewelry made of diamonds and brilliants with a total value of over 113 million euros and left over one million euros in property damage. They are also said to have set fire to a getaway car in the underground car park of a residential building in order to cover their tracks.
Three of the accused confessed on Tuesday as part of an agreement between the defense, prosecutors and the court, and another is to follow on Friday. With the prospect of the "deal" associated with lower penalties, a large part of the loot was returned shortly before Christmas, some damaged and incomplete.
