BERLIN (AP) — German authorities said Saturday they had recovered a significant portion of an 18th-century treasure stolen from Dresden’s Green Vault Museum. Over 3 years ago.
In a statement, prosecutors and police said they had secured 31 items in one night in Berlin, including “several items that are believed to have been completed”. They will be taken to Dresden, more than 160 kilometers (100 miles) away, where police and officials from the authority overseeing the city’s art collection will check their authenticity and see if they are intact. .
Authorities say some key items are still missing.
Saturday’s statement did not provide any details about where or under what circumstances the items were found.
But the discovery preceded preliminary discussions between prosecutors and the defense in the ongoing theft trial about an agreement that could include the return of stolen goods, they said. rice field. They added they were unable to provide any further information ahead of the next trial session scheduled for Tuesday.
Six men were put on trial In January, he was charged with gang robbery and arson in Dresden over the November 25, 2019 robbery. The German public has at least been accused of stealing jewelry worth an insured amount of €113.8 million ($121 million).
Authorities said at the time that the stolen items included a large diamond brooch and a diamond epaulet. It houses 4,000 pieces of gold, gemstones and other materials.
Prosecutors said the suspect set fire to turn off street lights outside the museum shortly before the break-in and set a car on fire in a nearby garage before fleeing to Berlin.
Saxony’s regional culture minister, Barbara Klebsch, said authorities were waiting to see an expert’s assessment to find out what condition the recovered works were in.
“We hope the wounds opened in the historic Green Vault in the 2019 robbery will be closed soon,” Klebsch said in a statement. “This is three years after this painful break-in. It still shows that it’s worth not giving up hope and pursuing all avenues.”