Germany: 5th suspect arrested over Dresden jewellery theft

Berlin, May 18

German investigators have arrested a fifth suspect in connection with the spectacular theft of 18th-century jewels from a Dresden museum in 2019.

Prosecutors in Dresden said Tuesday the 22-year-old, the twin brother of one of the men already in custody, was arrested at an apartment in Berlin on Monday evening, the dpa news agency reported. 

Four suspects were arrested in the German capital in November and December over the Nov. 25, 2019, theft of a large diamond brooch, a diamond epaulette and other treasures from Dresden's Green Vault Museum, but the man now arrested had twice managed to avoid capture. The suspects are accused of organized robbery and arson.

Searches at more than a dozen locations so far have not yielded the missing treasures.

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. 

Relatives of the twin brothers now in custody over the Dresden theft were convicted last year for a similarly spectacular heist, the theft of a 100-kilogram (220 pounds) 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 ($4.6 million) has not been recovered. Authorities suspect that it was likely cut up into smaller pieces and sold off. — AP

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