Verdict after spectacular safe break-in in Berlin-Charlottenburg

After a spectacular break-in into a vault in Berlin-Charlottenburg around four years ago, another defendant was convicted. The Berlin regional court imposed five years in prison on the 38-year-old. The man, who, according to the verdict, had carried jewelry, watches and millions of dollars in cash out of a safe deposit box with other perpetrators, was found guilty of theft with weapons.

In the first trial in July 2024, four men aged 26 to 53 at the time were sentenced to prison terms of between three and a half and eight years, including the then managing director of the vault system. The verdict said at the time that he had previously given the men who were at the crime scene transponders, keys and access codes. The former boss of the safe system had confessed and incriminated his co-defendants.

Damage of more than 16 million euros

On the morning of November 19, 2022, several perpetrators - disguised as employees of a security company - gained access to the safe on Fasanenstrasse. 295 lockers were broken into. According to the investigation, the thieves dragged bags of loot to a van and took it in several loads to a hiding place that is still unknown to this day.

In the second trial, after around two months of negotiations, the court assumed that damage would amount to more than 16 million euros - the investigators had initially assumed 49 million euros. The defendant is said to have received 60,000 euros for his participation. The court ordered the confiscation of the proceeds of the crime in this amount.

The 38-year-old was wanted with an arrest warrant and was arrested at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport in February of this year when he arrived from Turkey. The public prosecutor's office had demanded six years in prison. The defense argued for four and a half years in prison for the confessed defendant. The verdict is not yet final.