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Berlin police seize Lebanese clan's property empire | Berlin police seize Lebanese clan's property empire |
(35 minutes later) | |
Police have seized 77 Berlin properties owned by a Lebanese family suspected of mafia-style crimes, including the theft of a giant gold coin. | Police have seized 77 Berlin properties owned by a Lebanese family suspected of mafia-style crimes, including the theft of a giant gold coin. |
Three clan members were detained over the coin heist. The Canadian "Big Maple Leaf" - 100kg (220lb) of pure 24-carat gold - was stolen from Berlin's Bode Museum in March 2017. | |
The 77 houses, apartment blocks and garden allotments are worth about €10m (£9m; $12m), German media report. | The 77 houses, apartment blocks and garden allotments are worth about €10m (£9m; $12m), German media report. |
The gold coin has not yet been found. | The gold coin has not yet been found. |
There are fears that the gold might have been been melted down and sold off. The coin was valued at about €3.7m. | There are fears that the gold might have been been melted down and sold off. The coin was valued at about €3.7m. |
Investigators suspect that the seized properties were bought with the proceeds of organised crime. For legal reasons the Lebanese family is not named, but identified only as "R". | Investigators suspect that the seized properties were bought with the proceeds of organised crime. For legal reasons the Lebanese family is not named, but identified only as "R". |
An anti-money laundering law passed in Germany last year allows confiscation of property in order to recover illicit profits. | An anti-money laundering law passed in Germany last year allows confiscation of property in order to recover illicit profits. |
Members of the clan are suspected of crimes including murder, blackmail, drug-dealing and people-trafficking. | Members of the clan are suspected of crimes including murder, blackmail, drug-dealing and people-trafficking. |
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