Bulk of haul from $178 million jewellery heist recovered
German authorities said that they have recovered a significant part of the 18th-century treasures stolen from Dresden's Green Vault museum in a spectacular break-in more than three years ago.
Prosecutors and police said in a statement that they secured 31 items in Berlin, including "several pieces that appear to be complete."
They were taken to Dresden, more than 160km away, where police and then officials from the authority that oversees the city's art collections plan to check their authenticity and examine whether they are intact.
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A bulk of the treasures stolen in 2019 from the Green Vault Museum in, eastern Germany, has been returned.. AP
Some prominent items are still missing, authorities said.
Saturday's statement gave no details of where exactly the items were found and in what circumstances.
But they said that the find was preceded by exploratory talks between prosecutors and the defence in an ongoing trial over the theft on a possible agreement that would include the return of stolen items.
They added that they can give no further information ahead of the next trial session scheduled for Tuesday.
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This 18th-century brooch containing more than 660 individual diamonds was among the treasures stolen during the Green Vault heist. Jurgen Karpinski
Six men went on trial in Dresden in January, accused of gang robbery and arson over the November 25, 2019, robbery. The German nationals were accused of stealing jewellery with a total insured value of at least 113.8 million euros ($178 million).
Officials said at the time that the items taken included a large diamond brooch and a diamond epaulette. The treasury of Augustus the Strong of Saxony was established in 1723 and contains around 4000 objects of gold, precious stones and other materials on display in Dresden's Royal Palace.
Prosecutors have said that the suspects 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.
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German police arrested six men over the Dresden Green Vault museum robbery. AP
Saxony's regional culture minister, Barbara Klepsch, said officials are waiting to see experts' assessment and discover what condition the recovered pieces are in.
"I remain hopeful that the wound opened in the historic Green Vault in the 2019 robbery will soon be closed," Klepsch said in a statement. "This shows that, even three years after this painful break-in, it is worth not giving up hope and pursuing all tracks that arise."
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