Overview

• The central evidence chamber at Berlin’s Moabit courthouse has been closed since July 1 after housing roughly 160,000 exhibits created fire-safety hazards.
• Police have been directed to defer legally and tactically deferrable house searches, with only urgent investigations continuing as scheduled.
• Newly seized weapons, drugs and other items are stored in temporary evidence rooms at individual stations, which have limited space.
• Union officials warn that delayed operations and makeshift storage arrangements could undermine investigations by risking evidence loss or degradation.
• Reopening the main chamber depends on completing workplace safety refurbishments to meet fire regulations, according to lead prosecutor Jörg Raupach.