Overview
- The pair allegedly tried to access restricted sections of the Kohnstein tunnel system at the Mittelbau-Dora memorial near Nordhausen on November 16.
- The ex-wife alerted police out of concern, triggering a large missing-person search that brought ground units, a tracking dog and air support.
- Seven officers worked roughly four hours, a police helicopter flew for 75 minutes and the search was later called off when the ex-wife reported the two were safe.
- Police estimate about €7,500 for the helicopter, around €2,100 for personnel and roughly €1,000 for vehicle costs, pointing to a total near €10,000.
- Officials say a trespass investigation is underway and the exact bill will be set after the operations log is audited, a process that could take weeks.