Berlin
With ram and 130 police officers – clan villa handed over to the state
Bulky waste lies on the grounds of the clan villa. photo
© Jens Kalaene/dpa
A villa is confiscated because it was purchased with crime money. It will be years before the clan of Arab origin leaves the house. But then the state of Berlin can report success.
The bailiff came with a large police force including a ram – and came across a scene of devastation. After almost six years of trials, a well-known Arab clan had to be brought to justice Berlin-Neukölln finally evacuate the villa confiscated by the state.
What was left behind was a house in a “desolate condition,” as district spokesman Christian Berg said. The doors and windows of the large house in the Buckow district in the south of Berlin were open, and pieces of furniture were left in front of the door. The interior was largely destroyed, and bulky waste was piled up in the courtyard.
Neukölln’s district mayor Martin Hikel nevertheless spoke of a good day and a “clear signal against clan crime”. “We have shown that the rule of law works,” said the SPD politician. The villa with a large living space and garden house is one of 77 properties that were confiscated by the Berlin public prosecutor’s office in 2018.
Family didn’t want to move out
Several verdicts confirmed that the property was purchased with money from criminal transactions. The extended R. family didn’t want to move out. It includes men who were convicted, among other things, of stealing the large gold coin from Berlin’s Bodemuseum. Five men from the clan were also sentenced to prison in 2023 for stealing diamonds from the Green Vault in Dresden. Until the end, the family tried to fight the eviction in court. The Neukölln district court rejected a final application last week.
On Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., a dozen police vehicles rolled up to the villa, which is idyllically located opposite an old village church and cemetery and near a small pond. 130 police officers, some of whom were masked, cordoned off the area and the street. A sniffer dog was there, a police officer carried a ram on his shoulder, and plainclothes police officers from the State Criminal Police Office accompanied their uniformed colleagues. “We have prepared for all scenarios,” said a police spokeswoman.
The front door was open
However, the police were able to remain largely passive: the villa had not been inhabited since the previous day. Shortly before 10:30 a.m. the bailiff appeared. Together with police officers and a representative of the Neukölln district, she entered the house through the open front door. The property was thus legally handed over to the state. The police spokeswoman spoke of a smooth operation. And the police union declared: “This is a good day for the rule of law because it has prevailed in the long term.”
After an initial inspection, district spokesman Berg described his impressions: “The house is in a very desolate condition.” Wooden floors were torn out, railings torn away, doors destroyed and glass panes broken. Loose electrical cables were hanging around in the rooms. Berg spoke of wanton destruction. A large pile of bulky waste including building rubble could be seen in the garden. Car parts were lying around. Berg said we now have to clarify with the family who will pay for the damage. According to newspaper reports, the extended family is said to have already rented another house in the neighboring district.
Future use for house still unclear
But Berg emphasized: “Overall, we are very satisfied.” The district office is pleased that the matter has finally been concluded. Now the house needs to be secured. The future use has not yet been determined. The district is aiming for social use.
Educators from the neighboring daycare center, who peered curiously through the fence, reported about a fireworks display that the residents had organized on Monday afternoon. The women said they wouldn’t mind if their daycare center could share the property.
A few years after the confiscation in 2018 and the first court proceedings, the villa legally became the property of the State of Berlin. The Neukölln district became responsible as a municipality. However, the extended family continued to live as tenants and the rent was paid by the social welfare office. The district terminated the tenancy agreement several times and set eviction deadlines. Years passed again before these were enforced in court.
In the meantime, there were repeated police operations on the property. The searches included, among other things, investigations into thefts. Police last appeared in January in connection with an attack on a police officer on New Year’s Eve. A 15-year-old girl from the family was hit by a police car while partying on the street at night. A relative of the young people is said to have brutally attacked and seriously injured the policewoman in the car.