Six alleged thieves accused of having stolen a rare 17th-century treasure including jewels, diamonds and rare artefacts worth over EUR 110 million are set to go on trial today.

The loot has not been recovered and the authorities are still offering a EUR-1.5 million (GBP-1.25 million) “finder’s reward” for information leading to the recovery of the stolen artefacts.

The six defendants have been named as Abdul Majed Remmo, 22, Rabih Remmo, 28, Mohamed Remmo, 22, Wissam Remmo, 22, Bashir Remmo, 25, and Ahmed Remmo, 23, and they are going on trial today (Friday, 28th January) at a court in Dresden, the capital city of the eastern German state of Saxony.

They stand accused of having robbed the historic Green Vault, which is a museum located in the city of Dresden and which contains the largest treasure collection in Europe.

They allegedly broke into the building early in the morning of 25th November 2019 by sawing through a metal grate, before punching holes in a display case with an axe and tearing out 21 pieces of jewellery dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as other rare artefacts containing a total of 4,300 diamonds worth over EUR 113 million (GBP 94 million).

Investigators also found a window that had been cut into days earlier before being temporarily glued back together. This was not noticed at the time because the area was in a blind spot that the cameras could not see.

The case has been widely dubbed the biggest jewellery theft in German history, and the six accused are said to be from the Remmo clan, a criminal network of interconnected families of Arabic origin, with experts estimating the size of the network ranging between 500 and 1,000 individuals.

The defendants are accused of having committed other crimes to cover up the heist, including burning the getaway car in an underground car park.

A spokesperson for the regional court, who has not been named, previously said: “The car used for the actual commission of the crime is said to have been parked in the underground car park of a residential complex in Dresden and set on fire in order to remove traces.”

The blaze reportedly damaged 61 other cars and injured a local resident, according to local media. The defendants face charges of theft and property damage, as well as grievous bodily harm.

Shortly after the heist, the police in Saxony offered a EUR-500,000 (GBP-416,000) reward for information that could lead to the apprehension of the suspects.

Police said at the time of the heist that they had enlisted 40 criminology experts to solve the case.

The cops said in a statement at the time, on 25th November 2019, that the criminals had broken into “the historic Green Vault on Taschenberg Street and stole high-quality jewellery from a display case.”

The cops added: “Security staff alerted the Dresden police about the break-in early in the morning. This then triggered extensive search measures, during which, among other things, 16 radio patrol cars were involved.

“At the same time, the federal police and neighbouring police stations were included in the investigation. The perpetrators have not yet been caught. The manhunt continues.

“Against the background of the events, the Dresden Police Department has set up a special commission. In the commission, which bears the name ‘Epaulette’, 40 criminalists are currently working on the clarification of the case.”

The suspects were all detained a year later in a series of police raids. However, 40 alleged accomplices are still reportedly being investigated by the authorities.

The trial is set to last 50 days, with a verdict expected in autumn 2022.