Worth 275,000 euros: SEK finds 18th-century violin in raid

80 police officers are searching several apartments in Berlin in order to track down suspected fences of bodily harm, deprivation of liberty and threats.

Worth 275,000 euros: SEK finds 18th-century violin in raid

80 police officers are searching several apartments in Berlin in order to track down suspected fences of bodily harm, deprivation of liberty and threats. The officials come across a valuable violin. The thief was apparently not aware of the immense value of the instrument.

During searches in Berlin, police officers seized a valuable violin from the 18th century. According to the public prosecutor's office, this was stolen in March 2019 from the Hanns Eisler Music Academy in Berlin-Mitte - and sold for just 200 euros. Obviously the seller did not know what treasure he had. The historical instrument by violin maker Nicolo Gagliano from Naples is worth at least 275,000 euros, said a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office 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.

On Wednesday morning, about 80 police officers searched four places in Berlin, including an apartment on Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin-Friedrichshain, because of the investigation. A police spokeswoman said that search warrants from the two parallel proceedings had been carried out. According to a "B.Z." report, at least one knife, a baton, drugs and a device for manipulating car speedometers were confiscated in addition to the violin.