‘Hatton Garden mastermind Basil the Ghost’ charged three years after heist
POLICE last night charged a man believed to be the missing Hatton Garden mastermind known as ‘Basil the Ghost’.
Michael Seed, 57, was arrested three years after the £25million Easter weekend heist.
He was held following a raid in Islington, north London, two miles from the capital’s diamond district.
The Hatton Garden gang tunnelled into a basement vault over two nights in 2015.
They broke into dozens of metal security boxes and made off with a record-breaking haul of cash, gold, jewellery and gemstones. Only £4million of loot has ever been recovered.
Six men now aged between 61 and 79, dubbed the ‘ diamond wheezers’, were jailed over the burglary.
In court, several of them accused ‘Basil’ of arranging the raid and police have long suspected he was the gang’s inside man. Having evaded capture as others went to prison, he earned another nickname – The Ghost.
He was caught on CCTV letting the men in through a fire escape after using keys to enter the main doors of 88-90 Hatton Garden.
He knew the code to an internal magnetic door, the movements of the last jeweller to leave, and how to disable the basement alarm system. Basil was also one of only two men who crawled into the vault itself during the raid.
As he let his accomplices in, Basil was caught on camera wearing a flat cap, ear defenders and surgeon’s mask to conceal his face, as well as white forensic gloves.
He appeared to have red hair – or a red wig – which led to speculation he could have been named after the children’s TV puppet, Basil Brush.
The arrest marks a major breakthrough and officers believe they have enough evidence to put the man on trial, according to sources close to the inquiry.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman declined to confirm that the arrested man was suspected to be Basil, but confirmed he was held ‘on suspicion of non-residential burglary’.
Officers seized a large number of personal possessions during the search and are examining them to see if they include some of the missing loot.
John ‘Kenny’ Collins, now aged 77, Daniel Jones, 61, and Terry Perkins, 69, were all jailed for seven years for their role in the raid. William Lincoln, 62, also got seven years while Carl Wood, 61, and Brian Reader, 79, were given six years.
Perkins died in prison last month after suffering a heart attack.
As police closed in on the gang, they caught Jones and Perkins discussing Basil’s role on a bug hidden in a car.
The men suggested he was a novice, brought in just two months before the raid.
They suggested he lived simply, saying his share could last him ‘ for ever’ as he ‘goes for the cheapest gaffs’.
They revealed Basil was given £82,000 in cash, enough foreign currency to last ‘ten years’ and a large amount of gold.
They also discussed how their accomplice had travelled some distance to join the burglary, raising the possibility that he was based overseas.
Jones was recorded saying he would ‘never got nicked in a million years’. Perkins replied: ‘Not a f****** chance on this earth.’
Seed has been charged with one count of conspriacy to burgle and one count of conspiracy to conceal or disguise criminal property.
He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Westminster magistrates today.