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Arrests Made in Green Vault Jewelry Heist Case
Authorities have not recovered any of the 18th century royal jewels that were stolen, but museum officials remain hopeful.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of royal jewelry from the historic Green Vault in Dresden, Germany. (Image credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Photo: David Brandt)
Berlin—Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of 18th century royal jewels from the Green Vault Museum in Dresden, Germany last year.
The suspects are three German citizens, not named, two aged 23 and one 26, arrested on suspicion of organized robbery and arson.
The police are also looking for two others, suspected of the same crimes. They were identified as Abdul Majed Remmo, 21, and Mohamed Remmo, 21.
The two are said to be a part of a family of criminals.
Cousins Ahmed Remmo and Wissam Remmo, and a friend who worked as a security guard, were convicted and sentenced to several years in prison for a theft at Berlin’s Bode museum.
It has an estimated value of $4.45 million and has yet to be recovered. Authorities believe it has been chopped up and sold.
German officials believe at least six people were directly involved in the Green Vault jewelry heist.
Four security guards employed at Dresden’s Royal Palace were under investigation for potential involvement in the heist, a spokesperson for the Saxon Police confirmed to National Jeweler in March.
A total of 1,638 police officers from Saxony, Berlin, and other states, as well as federal special police forces, searched 18 locations, including 10 apartments and vehicles, as per a press release from the Saxon police department.
The main area of focus was the Berlin-Neukölln district as officers searched for the stolen jewelry and any possible evidence, such as clothing and tools.
None of the jewelry has yet been recovered.
SEE: The Jewelry Stolen from the Green Vault
A jewel featuring rose-cut diamonds, dating back to the 18th century, was among the pieces stolen in the heist of the Green Vault in Dresden. (Photo credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
An epaulette featuring 20 large and 216 small diamonds; the largest diamond is about 31.5 carats. (Photo credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
A jewel-encrusted sword and scabbard (Photo credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
A piece of jewelry from Poland’s Order of the White Eagle (Photo credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
Breast star from the Order of the White Eagle (Photo credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
Jewel from the bustle of Queen Amalie Auguste (Photo credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
A palmetto-shaped jewel (Photo credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
A chain of 177 Saxon river pearls, strung in 1805 (Photo credit:© Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
A sun-shaped hair pin set with 127 diamonds (Photo credit:© Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
A crescent moon-shaped hair pin (Photo credit:© Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
“We'd have to have a lot of luck in order to find them a year after the crime,” said Thomas Geithner, Dresden police spokesman, to reporters.
Marion Ackermann, Dresden’s State Art Collections Director, said she was encouraged by the development.
“Of course we hope that the jewelry sets will be found and that they will soon be able to be returned to their original location,” she said.
The Green Vault is one of the world’s oldest museums, created in 1723 by Augustus the Strong of Saxony, who wanted to establish Dresden as an arts hub.
His treasury, on display in Dresden’s Royal Palace, includes 4,000 jewels, objets d’art, and other historically significant items.
Its most famous treasure is the Dresden Green Diamond, a 41-carat green diamond, which is currently on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for an exhibition.
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