JEWELS WORTH MILLIONS STOLEN IN RAID ON SAFETY DEPOSIT VAULT
THIEVES smashed their way into a safe deposit centre and escaped with jewellery and diamonds worth up to £ 10million, it was revealed yesterday.
Armed with heavy cutting equipment, the gang took advantage of the Easter weekend to break into the building in London’s Hatton Garden via a lift shaft.
After prising open 300 safe deposit boxes and safes, the burglars made off with gold, diamonds, jewellery, antiques, art works and cash.
The raid was discovered only when staff turned up for work at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit yesterday morning shortly after 8am.
Flying Squad detectives are investigating and forensic officers are trying to establish how the gang entered and disabled the alarm system.
Shock
One line of inquiry is that the raiders had inside information about the lay- out and security of the centre.
The gang, who had up to four days to carry out the theft, may also have been tipped off about valuables stored there over the holiday period.
The raid sent shock waves through the jewellery world yesterday.
Thelma West, a gemologist, designer and jeweller, tweeted: “The loss is huge. A lot of jewellers and dealers put their stock in safe deposits over holiday periods.”
Manufacturer Norman Bean said: “A friend had a half- cut aqua diamond in there. He’s terrified it has gone. I have £ 35,000 of stuff in there.” Mr Bean said the burglars are believed to have entered through a lift shaft on Friday afternoon and evaded detection by security guards.
Diamond expert Lewis Malka said: “The police aren’t allowing anyone in yet, so no one is too sure whose box has or hasn’t been touched.
“With the robbers having probably four days over the Easter weekend, there’s a good chance that they went through everything.”
Worried jewellers gathered outside the centre yesterday, concerned they may have lost up to £ 10million in valuables kept there.
One commented: “I’ve got more than 40 years of stock in there and they won’t tell me anything.”
It is not the first time the centre has been targeted. In 2003 a thief posing as a customer walked out with cash and valuables worth £ 1.5million, and in 1975 armed robbers made off with a £ 2million haul.
Scotland Yard confirmed details of the raid but refused to put an estimated value on the haul, saying in a statement: “It appears that heavy cutting equipment has been used to enter a vault.
“A number of safety deposit boxes have been broken into.”