German police make 4th arrest over Dresden jewelry heist

BERLIN (AP) - Police in the German capital have arrested one of two fugitive twins wanted in connection with the spectacular theft of 18th-century jewels from a Dresden museum last year, officials said Tuesday.

Dresden police said 21-year-old Mohamed Remmo was arrested by Berlin authorities in a car in the Neukoelln district of the city on Monday evening.

Remmo and his twin brother, Abdul Majed Remmo, were being sought internationally after evading police during a massive sweep last month.

During that operation, three others were arrested in connection with the Nov. 25, 2019, theft of a large diamond brooch, a diamond epaulette and other treasures from Dresden's Green Vault Museum.

The suspects, aged 23 to 26, were charged with organized robbery and arson.

It was not immediately clear how police tracked down Mohamed Remmo, who was being taken to Dresden on Tuesday. They said they were still searching for his brother with 'œhigh intensity.'ť

Searches at more than a dozen locations have so far not yielded the missing treasures.

Members of the Remmo family were convicted earlier this year for a similarly spectacular heist, the theft of a 100-kilogram (220 pound) Canadian gold coin dubbed the 'œBig Maple Leaf" from Berlin's Bode Museum in 2017.

The coin, with an estimated value of 3.75 million euros ($4.45 million) has not yet been recovered and authorities have posited that it was likely cut up into smaller pieces and sold off.

The Green Vault is one of the world's oldest museums. It was established in 1723 and contains the treasury of Augustus the Strong of Saxony, comprising around 4,000 objects of gold, precious stones and other materials.

Shortly after the theft, authorities offered a 500,000-euro ($593,000) reward for information leading to the recovery of the jewels or the arrest of the thieves.