Art Recovery International founder Christopher Marinello called it “a theft of epic proportions,” according to the BBC. In 2019, a pair of men dressed in black ransacked the lavish Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe) at the Dresden Royal Palace. The heist didn’t just run like clockwork; it sprinted like a stopwatch. As the Guardian details, after a conveniently timed fire put out the power to the palace’s museum’s alarm and multiple street lights, the two burglars shattered a window, cut through a fence, raided the Jewel Room of the Green Vault, and vanished within minutes. A flaming car found later that morning may have served as the getaway vehicle.

The thieves swiped a sword whose hilt was decorated with 779 diamonds, per NPR, along with an epaulet containing 236 diamonds and other extravagant jewelry. The stolen items belonged to a collection amassed by Saxon Ruler Augustus the Strong in 1723. Initial valuations of the loss topped $1 billion. However, NPR says the actual amount was likely lower. Then again, the head of Dresden state museums said it was impossible to assign an “exact value” to artifacts “because they are priceless.” So the price is right no matter what. Besides, the more important number to resolve is how many people were involved. And the mystery to solve is how they pulled off such a crazy crime.

This looks like a job for an insider

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