麻豆影视

Skip to main content

German prosecutors charge 6 over spectacular jewelry heist

A visitor reflects in a showcase in front of empty display cases after the theft in the Jewel Room during the reopening of the Green Vault Museum in Dresden's Royal Palace of the Dresden State Art Collections, on May 30, 2020. (Jens Meyer / AP) A visitor reflects in a showcase in front of empty display cases after the theft in the Jewel Room during the reopening of the Green Vault Museum in Dresden's Royal Palace of the Dresden State Art Collections, on May 30, 2020. (Jens Meyer / AP)
Share
BERLIN -

German prosecutors said Thursday that they have filed charges against six suspects in the spectacular theft of 18th-century jewels from a Dresden museum in 2019, accusing them of organized robbery and arson.

The men, German nationals aged 22 to 27, are accused of breaking into the eastern city's Green Vault Museum on Nov. 25, 2019, and stealing 21 pieces of jewelry containing more than 4,300 diamonds, with a total insured value of at least 113.8 million euros (US$135 million).

Prosecutors say they laid a fire just before the break-in to cut the power supply for street lights outside the museum, and also set fire to a car in a nearby garage before fleeing to Berlin.

Searches so far have not yielded the missing treasures. Prosecutors said that the suspects, who are all in custody, have not responded to the accusations against them.

The Green Vault is one of the world's oldest museums. It was established in 1723 and contains the treasury of Augustus the Strong of Saxony, comprising around 4,000 objects of gold, precious stones and other materials.

Two of the suspects are already serving sentences for participating in another spectacular heist, the theft of a 100-kilogram (220-pound) Canadian gold coin dubbed the "Big Maple Leaf" from Berlin's Bode Museum in 2017.

The coin, with an estimated value of 3.75 million euros, has not been recovered. Authorities suspect that it was likely cut up into smaller pieces and sold off.

The indictment was filed at the state court in Dresden, which will now have to decide whether and when to bring the case to trial.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.