The restaurant owner hired the BMW 730 back in September 2006, before renting it to a business friend, who himself leased it to another man.

This third man, it later emerged, had contacts to a car-trafficking group which transported cars from Europe to the Middle East.

He sold the car to the gang for less than €11,000 and it was then shipped out to Syria along with many other luxury vehicles, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

The BMW rental car firm charged the costs to the Munich restaurant owner, who paid the €42,000 debt in monthly installments. He was also required to cover another €40,000 in car rental costs. 

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The case attracted attention back in 2006 and 2007, when the gang’s activities were brought to light and the perpetrators convicted.

Now the businessman is looking to claim compensation from the police, who he claims neglected their duties in not properly pursuing the vehicle.

Officers did track down the car to Italy, but said that the gang was already moving it too quickly to inform the Italian police. 

The police also listened in on calls made between the criminals, but were unable to gain precise details of their deals, as the gang members spoke vaguely and concealed key facts about their plans.

The court must now assess whether the police should have done more to pursue the vehicle and find those responsible before they left Europe.  

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