During searches in Berlin, police officers seized a valuable violin from the 18th century in an apartment in Kreuzberg. According to the public prosecutor’s office, this was stolen in March 2019 from the Hanns Eisler Music Academy in Berlin – and sold for just 200 euros. Obviously the seller did not know what treasure he had. The historic instrument by violin maker Nicolo Gagliano from Naples dates back to 1761 and is worth at least 275,000 euros, said a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office on Wednesday after the stolen goods had been secured.
The police tracked down the alleged fence in investigations into dangerous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty and threats, as it was said. According to the public prosecutor’s office, these are aimed at five men between the ages of 22 and 44. One of the suspects is said to have sold the valuable violin and is accused of receiving stolen goods. His mother is said to have helped. The public prosecutor said that the 77-year-old, who is said to have kept the instrument, is being investigated separately.
On Wednesday morning, around 80 police officers searched four locations in Berlin, including an apartment on Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin-Friedrichshain, because of the investigation. A police spokeswoman said that search warrants from two parallel proceedings had been carried out. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the police officers seized three kilograms of drugs, probably heroin, among other things.
New proceedings for illegal trafficking in narcotics in large quantities were initiated against the alleged 23-year-old owner, who had not previously been a suspect in any of the above-mentioned proceedings. According to a “B.Z.” report, in addition to the violin and the drugs, at least one knife, a baton and a device for manipulating car speedometers were also confiscated.
