Now the clan members are on trial: Berlin tank breakers stole 49 million euros

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It was a robbery like in the movies: in November 2022, a gang stole around 49 million euros in the German capital. Five suspects will appear in Berlin court on Thursday.

The attack was preceded by meticulous planning: Thomas S.* (52), director of the Vallog company, operated a safe in the Charlottenburg district, as well as illegal trading in precious metals and money laundering. As the newspaper ‘Bild’ reports, he is said to have heavy debts. In September 2022, he is finally blackmailed because of these debts.

The blackmailers Bilall M.* (42) and his cousin Mahmoud M.* (26), two members of a well-known Berlin clan, demand access to the manager’s safes. In return, they would forgive his debts. Under the guise of core drilling, the two introduce Thomas S. to the ‘expert’ of a security company, Muhammet H. (42).

Perpetrators had keys and access codes

S. then allegedly fired the existing security guard and hired the fake security company instead. On November 17, 2022, he allegedly gave suspect Kenan S. (28) keys, transponders and access codes to the safes. On November 19 the time has come: together with four unknown people, Kenan S. will start work at 7:13 am.

The suspects drive the van into the vault’s underground parking garage. The keys and codes make it easy for them. Moreover, the robbers already know which safes are the most lucrative: the boss had given them a list of safes with high insurance.

This means that they can crack 295 out of 2000 safes. They stole securities, precious metals, watches and jewelry worth 35 million euros from the safes. That’s not all: the perpetrators entered the Watchmaster company through an intermediate door, where they stole 996 luxury watches with a total value of 14.3 million euros.

No traces at the crime scene

After the crime, all traces, including DNA, must be destroyed. That’s why the perpetrators sprayed corrosive sodium hypochlorite into the safe and set a car tire on fire. Although it doesn’t actually catch fire, the fire destroys all traces of DNA. And because the CO₂ extinguishing system was activated, the vault could not be entered again until the next day due to the gases.

Already at the beginning of the investigation, director Thomas S. became suspicious: on the one hand, he had hired the fake company, and on the other hand, he had rented two safes just before the robbery and took out high insurance on them. He also contradicted himself several times during the interrogations. It is not yet known when the verdict will be pronounced. (gs)

*Names known

Source: Blick