- Thieves Involved in Green Vault Heist Resisting Arrest Attempts
Two individuals connected to the theft of precious gems from the Historic Green Vault have yet to serve their sentences. The 28-year-old and 31-year-old failed to present themselves to serve their time as mandated by the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office, as announced by their spokesperson on Monday. Instead, they each filed for a temporary reprieve, which were both denied. The younger of the two, belonging to the Berlin Remmo clan, has his lawyer appealing for a court ruling, which is still under consideration. The outcome regarding the other individual's appeal is unclear - if he chooses not to appeal, "he must surrender to serve his sentence." This will only become apparent when the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office receives notification of his admission to an open detention facility.
On May 2023, these two men along with a relative, who was also found guilty as an accomplice from the Berlin Remmo clan, were granted temporary freedom while they completed their sentences. They were to surrender by August 19, to be placed in an open detention facility in line with the Berlin Prison Plan. The 28-year-old and 31-year-old were sentenced to five years and ten months and six years and two months in prison, respectively, with 911 days of pre-trial detention deducted.
Historical jewelry thieves strike once more
The daring burglary at Saxony's prominent museum on November 25, 2019, was one of Germany's most thrilling art heists. The perpetrators managed to make off with 21 priceless pieces of diamond and sapphire jewelry, creating over one million euros worth of damage. They even set one of their escape cars ablaze in the underground garage of a residential building.
In May 2023, the Dresden Regional Court handed out numerous multi-year prison sentences to five young men from a well-known Arab-origin Berlin clan in connection with the theft. This decision is now confirmed. Four of them had their arrest warrants suspended under certain conditions as part of a settlement that included the return of most of the stolen goods. However, as one of them still had another sentence to serve, only three were freed temporarily. The individual who refused to comply had to stay incarcerated. The sixth defendant, a cousin of the co-defendants, was acquitted.
Despite the multiple prison sentences handed out for their involvement in the historic jewelry heist at a museum, some individuals associated with the case have yet to serve their time in full. Visitors to museums should remain vigilant, as such incidents serve as a reminder of the ongoing threat to cultural artifacts.
