Notorious German kidnapper jailed again for armed robbery

A German man who became notorious for a kidnapping case in the 1990s is now set to return to prison for 15 years for armed robbery, reported Xinhua.

Thomas Drach has already served over a decade in jail for the kidnapping of tobacco heir Jan Philipp Reemtsma for a ransom. Now 63, Drach has been convicted by the Cologne Regional Court of three robberies of cash-in-transit vans in Cologne and Frankfurt am Main in 2018 and 2019. During two of the incidents, the cash carriers were seriously injured when he fired shots at them, according to the verdict handed down on Thursday.

However, Drach pleaded not guilty to the robberies, claiming in court that witnesses had been bought. He has voiced his intention to appeal against the verdict.

Drach is considered one of Germany's most dangerous criminals. During his first prison term, his sentence was extended after he attempted to blackmail his brother, who he suspected of keeping some of the ransom money.

After the kidnapping case at the end of the 1990s, Drach escaped to Argentina. He was caught after an intercepted phone call to Germany about a planned visit to a concert by the rock band Rolling Stones.