Reemtsma kidnappers - Money transporter robbery: Thomas Drach sentenced to 15 years in prison plus preventive detention
On Thursday, the Cologne Regional Court sentenced Thomas Drach to 15 years' imprisonment for robbery and attempted murder. The court also sentenced the Reemtsma kidnapper to preventive detention. This means that after serving his sentence, Drach will be transferred to a secure detention center where he will remain behind bars. The court's ruling was in line with the prosecution's request.
Thomas Dach allegedly robbed cash transporters in Cologne and Frankfurt
The court considered it proven that Drach committed three robberies of cash-in-transit vehicles in Cologne and Frankfurt am Main in 2018 and 2019. According to the verdict, he fired shots at the cash carriers in two of the robberies and the two men suffered serious injuries. A robbery in Limburg, Hesse, which was also charged, could not be proven against Drach.
Drach had always denied all accusations and his defense lawyers had asked for his acquittal. The verdict on the 100th day of the trial marked the end of an almost two-year mammoth trial, which had taken place under high security precautions.
In 1996, Drach had kidnapped Jan Philipp Reemtsma, heir to the Hamburg tobacco dynasty Reemtsma, and released him for ransom. He was sentenced to fourteen and a half years in prison for the crime.
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- The robberies committed by Thomas Drach in Cologne and Frankfurt am Main were not his only criminal activities; in 1996, he also kidnapped Jan Philipp Reemtsma, the heir to the Hamburg tobacco dynasty Reemtsma, for ransom.
- In addition to being sentenced to 15 years in prison and preventive detention for the 2018 and 2019 robberies, Drach may also face further consequences given his past conviction for the Reemtsma kidnapping in Germany.
- The regional court in Cologne handed down Thomas Drach's 15-year prison sentence for robbery and attempted murder, adding to his existing prison term for the Reemtsma kidnapping, which took place in Germany.
- Despite the serious charges, including armed robbery and attempted murder in multiple cities like Cologne and Frankfurt, Thomas Drach maintained his innocence throughout the trial, only to be found guilty and receive a lengthy prison sentence in Germany.
- The brutal and dangerous nature of Thomas Drach's crimes, including the robbery of cash transporters in Cologne and Frankfurt, not to mention the attempted murder charges, have drawn attention to Germany's criminal justice system and the efforts to contain and punish such individuals in the country.
Source: www.stern.de
