The five men arrested for the theft of the infamous “Work makes you free” sign that hung over the entrance of the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz, planned the scam to make money.

Polish police say the gang were not members of any neo-Nazi group.

The theft, which happened last Friday, sparked worldwide condemnation and the Polish authorities made its recovery a top priority.

As many a 1.1 million people were killed in the camp, 90 per cent of them were Jews.

On January the 27th, 1945, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz.

Since then the date has been recognised as International Holocaust Day.

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