Three people have been arrested over a dramatic diamond heist in Germany last year that targeted one of Europe’s largest treasure collections.
The suspects are accused of stealing more than a dozen diamond-encrusted items from the Dresden Green Vault in the east of the country, police said.
Saxony’s ruler, Augustus the Strong, created the collection in 1723 in what is one of the world’s oldest museums.
Police have also raided homes in Berlin as part of the investigation.
“The measures today are focused on the search for the stolen art treasures and possible evidence, such as storage media, clothing and tools,” a statement said.
Some 1,600 officers were involved in raids across several German states. The three held are believed to be members of a notorious criminal family network based in Berlin.
In a statement, prosecutors said all three were accused of “serious gang robbery and two counts of arson”. They are set to appear before a judge later on Tuesday.
Three jewellery sets are believed to have been stolen from the Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe) in last November’s daring heist, reportedly including rubies, emeralds and sapphires.
Other items that were stolen included a diamond-encrusted sword and a shoulder-piece containing a famous 49-carat Dresden white diamond.
The items cannot be sold on the art market legally – they’re too well known,” Marion Ackermann, the head of the Dresden state museums, said shortly after the robbery.
Source:Fiilafmonline/BBC
