A thief accused of stealing a diamond-studded 17th-century treasure worth over EUR 110 million has made a surprise courtroom confession.

The gang member – one of six on trial in Germany – has admitted that he was involved in planning the theft of the jewellery, studded with 4,300 diamonds.

The six accused thieves are said to have struck on 25th November 2019, and more than two years later, the haul is still missing.

Authorities are still offering a EUR-1.5-million (GBP-1.27 million; USD-1.67 million) “finder’s reward” for information leading to the recovery of the artefacts.

The six defendants have been named as Abdul Majed Remmo, 22, Rabih Remmo, 28, Mohamed Remmo, 22, Wissam Remmo, 22, Bashir Remmo, 25, and Ahmed Remmo, 23, and they are on trial at a court in Dresden, the capital city of the eastern German state of Saxony.

The Germans reportedly come from a notorious Arab family in Berlin and are accused of having stolen 21 pieces of jewellery including 4,300 diamonds and other gems from the Treasury Museum at Dresden Castle (Dresden Residenzschloss).

They also allegedly caused property damage to the tune of over EUR 1 million (GBP 848,000; USD 1.12 million).

And now Rabih Remmo, 28, has reportedly admitted his involvement in preparing the burglary, emphasising that the information about the events surrounding the theft was limited to what he himself was allegedly involved in.

But he refused to comment on the involvement of the other defendants. He also reportedly refused to answer questions.

In a statement which was read out by his lawyer, who has not been named, he allegedly admitted that he first drove to Dresden on the evening of 20th November 2019 in a car that he had previously obtained after being instructed to do so.

There, he and others allegedly climbed over the castle wall at the level of the museum to check the visibility at the entry point and the possibilities of escape.

After that, on 24th November 2019, he allegedly sat with others in a car on the way to an agreed meeting point.

They were allegedly checked over by a police patrol, whereby the officers took down their personal details and found tools in the boot that were reportedly consistent with items that could be used in a burglary.

The defendant allegedly said in his statement: “It was clear to me that the matter was over, the risk seemed too high to me.”

He and the others then got out and the car drove away.

But the 28-year-old said that he was then approached shortly before the day of the heist by one of the alleged perpetrators, “who was also the main planner of the crime”.

In his statement, the 28-year-old allegedly said: “He asked if I wanted to take part in the burglary, saying that it was well prepared, the plan was ingenious and the loot was significant.”

That evening, he and two others were allegedly briefed on the trip to Dresden.

In the car, they allegedly talked about the burglary and the valuable jewels they were planning to steal.

The defendant allegedly said in his statement that his role was to work from the street “in front of the entry window, with others, and load the loot”.

At the beginning of the trial, public prosecutor Christian Weber said the accused had stolen “unique and irreplaceable pieces of jewellery” during the burglary.

He added: “The act was specifically prepared.”

According to the indictment, two of the suspects forcibly entered Dresden Castle through a window in the early morning of 25th November 2019.

They then allegedly used an axe to gain access to a display case and snatched the jewels, which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

The security guards reportedly did not prevent the perpetrators from escaping. At the same time as the theft, there was an electrical fire near the scene of the crime, causing the street lighting to fail, before the getaway car was later set on fire in an underground car park.

The blaze reportedly damaged 61 other cars and injured a local resident, according to local media. The defendants face charges of theft and property damage, as well as grievous bodily harm.

Shortly after the heist, the police in Saxony offered a EUR-500,000 (GBP-416,000; USD-558,000) reward for information that could lead to the apprehension of the suspects.

Police said at the time of the heist that they had enlisted 40 criminology experts to solve the case.

There is still no trace of the loot. The trial continues.