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July 28, 2020 The five crystal works of art dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries were vanished in Italy after being stolen twenty years ago at the Dusseldorf Glass Museum. To find them the Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit.

In handcuffs a 67-year-old German citizen, resident for years in the province of Cuneo, where he was known as "the lawyer" because he presented himself as an expert in law, and a 63-year-old compatriot.

They are accused of receiving stolen goods and attempted extortion: they had contacted the museum asking for € 200,000 to return the works.

Theft and blackmail
The works were stolen on 8 February 2000 from the Kunstpalast, Glasmuseum Hentrich in D sseldorf. For years nothing was known of it, until a few months ago, when the museum was contacted for the return of the masterpieces in exchange for money. Despite being insured for 700 thousand euros, the extortionists' request drops to 200 thousand euros.

The trap
Italy is chosen for the exchange, in an area in Piedmont on the border with Liguria. In early July, the German embassy and the Carabinieri for the protection of cultural heritage decide to set the trap by pretending to accept the request.

The meeting takes place in a hotel in the center of Alba. The military place microphones and get confused between customers and staff.
A few minutes after the exchange, the handcuffs were released. The lawyer, stalked for days, and his accomplice were arrested. Both uncensored, lived in a Dego farmhouse near Savona.  

Operation Kristall
The operation, coordinated by the Asti prosecutor's office, has been renamed 'Kristall'. The crystal works of art are now available to the judicial authorities, pending the formal return of the German institutions. During the searches in the couple's car, an Audi, and another important crystal object was also recovered in their home. Work on which investigations are underway to establish its origin