Organised criminals orchestrated the theft of a hoard of hundreds of ancient gold coins from a German museum this week in a break-in that took only nine minutes to execute, a senior police officer said.
The perpetrator — or perpetrators — prised open a fire escape door into the Celtic and Roman Museum in the Bavarian town of Manching in the early hours, said the deputy head of state criminal police office, Guido Limmer.
The public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into serious-incident gangland robbery. Germany has been plagued by crime gangs carrying out high-profile jewel thefts including the notorious Green Vault smash and grab in Dresden.
“It's clear that you don't simply march into a museum and take this treasure with you,” said Markus Blume, Bavaria’s minister of science and arts. “It's highly secured and as such there's a suspicion that we're rather dealing with a case of organised crime.”
Mr Blume said all of the museum's security systems, along with Manching's entire telephone network, had been disabled during the raid.
German news agencies reported that in addition to the 483 coins, dating back to around 100BC, three other items were stolen from another display cabinet.
Authorities fear the treasure, worth millions of euros, could be melted down, meaning the bowl-shaped coins would be lost to science forever.
The gold treasure is the flagship and most valuable exhibit of the museum, which opened in 2006 to showcase the largest Celtic gold hoard found in the 20th century.
The coins were discovered in 1999 on the site of the Manching settlement founded by Celts in the late La Tene period around 300BC. It was believed to have been inhabited until around 30BC and was probably the capital of the Celtic tribe of Vindeliker.
The settlement peaked in the mid-second century BC, when the first city wall was built and an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people lived in Manching. Its end may have been heralded by the collapse of the northern Alpine economic system following Caesar's conquest of Gaul by 50BC. The Roman occupiers later founded a road station nearby, which they named Vallatum.
The coins were restrikes of a Greek coin shaped by Celtic tribes. The hoard also includes a 217g gold nugget. The commercial value of the items is estimated at around €1.6 million ($1.6 million). Mr Blume spoke of a treasure of "unique cultural and historical value".
One official said the theft was a "classic raid as you would imagine in a bad film". The loss of telephone and internet connections for 13,000 private and corporate customers around Manching on Tuesday night meant there was no alarm at the neighbourhood police station.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
