A Polish state prosecutor says it was very likely the men responsible for the theft of the "Arbeit macht frei" sign from the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz were acting on behalf of a third party outside of Poland. Polish media have speculated that the third party is a Swedish collector.

State prosecutor Artur Wrona told a press conference that "The main person behind this crime was somebody living outside Poland who does not hold Polish citizenship." However, he did not confirm or deny if the third party was a Swedish citizen. Investigators are now seeking assistance from Interpol to find the party responsible.

Insufficient security measures

According to Wrona, the security at Auschwitz was quite low, and the thieves were able to gain access to the grounds "without problem." He added that investigators believe there was an earlier attempt on Thursday night to steal the sign, but the thieves had to buy a ladder and get new tools to unscrew the sign.

The thieves returned again at midnight and were successful in detaching the sign from the gates. Wrona said the guards did not notice anything unusual at the time the sign was stolen.

Common criminals

Initially, the perpetrators were assumed to be right-wing extremists. However, the five men arrested for the sign's theft are described by officials as "common criminals" with no links to neo-Nazi groups.

"They did it for money. They knew where they were going and what for, but they were not really aware of the reaction this theft would cause," Wrona said. "They were no experts…but they were relatively cheap (to hire)."

Polish police displayed the sign to journalists, which was cut into three pieces and twisted out of shape. They say the thieves cut the five-metre long sign so that it would fit into their sports car.

The five men, all between the ages of 20 and 39, face up to 10 years in jail.

The iconic sign was forged by a Polish prisoner at Auschwitz during the Second World War. Its motto, "Work sets you free", became a symbol of the false sense of security given to prisoners by the Nazis before their deaths. Its theft sparked widespread outrage, particularly from Israel and Jewish groups.

Some 1.5 million people, mostly Jews, died at Auschwitz during Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland. Museum authorities say they hope to have the sign restored by January to mark the 65th anniversary of the camp's liberation by the Soviet Red Army.

mk/dpa/AP
Editor: Andreas Illmer