Dresden jewel theft: Five men convicted of audacious 2019 heist

Five men have been convicted for a daring theft of valuable jewels worth €113 million from a museum in Dresden, Germany. Although some of the stolen items were recovered, including a diamond-encrusted sword, there are concerns that the remaining treasure may never be found.

The culprits, who belonged to a notorious criminal family network and resided in Berlin, meticulously planned the heist. They made multiple visits to the museum, prepared their entry point in advance by cutting through protective window bars, and set fire to a circuit breaker panel to create a diversion. Two of the men then entered the museum, wearing masks and wielding axes, and smashed glass display cases to access the treasure.

After spraying a foam fire extinguisher to cover their tracks, they escaped in an Audi, which they later burned before fleeing to Berlin. The thieves are all members of the “Remmo clan,” one of several family networks of Arab descent involved in major organized crime in Germany. Despite the recovery of some stolen items through confessions, several pieces, including the rare White Stone of Saxony diamond, remain missing.

The stolen jewels were part of a collection assembled by Augustus the Strong, the Elector of Saxony, in the 18th century. The loss is particularly devastating as the collection was intended to be viewed as a whole, showcasing a variety of colors and stones. Although the museum has improved its security system and focuses on restoring the remaining jewels, curators have accepted that the collection may never be complete again.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright