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£40m Mayfair raid is biggest gems heist in British history
Justin Davenport, Crime Editor11 Aug 2009
A raid on a Mayfair jewellers last week was the biggest ever gems heist in British history, it was revealed today.
Two smartly dressed men who arrived at Graff Diamonds by taxi escaped with jewellery worth nearly £40 million.
Scotland Yard today issued CCTV images of the pair and appealed to anyone who recognises them to come forward urgently.
The two men threatened staff at Graff's with a handgun and fired warning shots as they left.
The haul dwarfs Britain's previous biggest diamond jewellery robbery, a £23 million raid which also took place at Graff's in 2003.
Today police also released images of some of the rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches taken from the store, whose clients include Mike Tyson, the Beckhams and Naomi Campbell.
The two men - who detectives believe are Londoners - walked into the New Bond Street jewellers at 4.40pm last Thursday.
After being let in through the security doors both men produced handguns and threatened staff.
They were in the store for a matter of minutes, throwing a total of 43 items into a bag before briefly seizing a woman employee hostage.
The men took her outside - and fired a warning shot into the ground. After releasing the woman the two men made their getaway in a blue BMW.
However, their escape was nearly foiled when the car crashed into a black cab in Dover Street. As the cabbie and drinkers from the nearby King's Head pub gave chase, one of the men fired another round into the ground to warn them off.
The men then switched to a silver Mercedes which turned left into Hay Hill and then entered Berkeley Square.
Gallery: See the £40m jewels taken in the Mayfair raid
The car then drove into Farm Street where it is believed some of the suspects got into a black vehicle, possibly a Ford Galaxy or VW Sharan.
One possibility is that the loot was transferred to a waiting motorcyclist who was able to leave the area quickly.
Police believe there were at least two other men who were acting as getaway drivers for three cars - possibly more.
Detective Chief Inspector Pam Mace from Scotland Yard's Flying Squad said: “This was a well planned robbery with a number of vehicles used to help the robbers escape. These men are extremely dangerous and fired at least two shots in busy London streets as they made their getaway.
“Someone knows who these men are, they would undoubtedly have spoken about it beforehand or boasted about it afterwards. I would urge anyone who recognises them, knows the whereabouts of the jewellery or has any other information to contact us.”
The first suspect is described as white, about 30, with a slim build, dark hair with a well-combed side parting, light stubble on his face and 5 ft 10 - 6 ft tall. He was wearing a grey suit, white shirt and tie.
The second is described as black, also in his 30s, 6 ft tall, more well built than the first suspect, and with very short Afro hair. He was also wearing a grey suit, white shirt and tie.
Graff Diamonds has been the target of at least three raids in recent years.
In 2007 two robbers arrived at the Sloane Square branch of the store in a chauffer-driven Bentley Continental Flying Spur.
They threatened staff at gunpoint before making off with £10 million worth of gems.
Last week's raid was also similar to a gems heist on the company's flagship New Bond Street store in 2003 when two men escaped with 47 pieces of jewellery worth £23 million.
The robbery was carried out by Europe's most infamous gem thieves the Pink Panther Gang. One of the Serbian criminal gang was wrestled to the ground as he fled and later jailed at the Old Bailey.
More than a year after that robbery just 20 items werer recovered.
Graff's was also the victim of one of the country's biggest ever jewel heists in 1993 when robbers made off with £ 7 million worth of gems from its workshop Hatton Garden.
A three-man armed gang in stocking masks handcuffed staff before making off with their haul. The raid was believed to have been carried out by The Rascal Gang, a group of armed robbers named after the Bedford Rascal vans they used.
Detectives believe the latest heist was a carefully organised robbery and the raiders targeted the most expensive items in the store. One officer : “They knew exactly what they were looking for and we suspect they already a market for the jewels. “
The suspects details have been circulated to all ports and airports but police believe they would have organised an escape route and may already have left the country.
Anyone with information should call Barnes Flying Squad on 020 8247 4804 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
Reader views (13)
the robbers were poor no bread on the table house in foreclosure someboby stole there wheely bin,mother sent home to die from the nhs.the could,nt find a real job,neeed cash fo the chealsea game,sky sports fee was due.one had toothache could,nt find a dentist,cash for clunckers did,nt work for them.had parkng tickets for parkng on there own drive way,thought they may get elected to parliment,if they became crooks. there guns where bought at the local pornshop,new that the cops are to fat to catch them.there heroes are glair and mandy.so they felt they could get away with the loot.they would have joined the army but heard there was no guns or helicopters,wanted to voice the needs to an MP but they are away in there holiday mansions for 10 weeks.they hoped they would be caught and spend the rest of there lives at ford prison,near the sea in sussex,and sell there story to the tabliods rite a book and sell the movie rights.they look like nice people by the on the cctv cameras,they didnt harm anyone.lets hope there dreams come true ,and get JACK STRAW THE SACK they will plead guilty if caught or fight the case and saying they were sleep walking and will probaly get susspended sentances
- Phil, usa, 12/08/2009 03:59
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Nice one Paul; Kent; that made me chuckle…
Mario Kempe; Those road works are just diversions for following police cars; nobody is working on them at all; because the workers are out robbing jewel shops and escaping on motorbikes.
I heard there are more Brits in Spain and Brazil than there are in the UK.
- Mickinlondon, london., 11/08/2009 17:42
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Here's a thought,
So they were last seen in Farm Street & John L from Scarborough, England reckons it will be made in to a film. I wonder who'll direct the film...know any British crime film directors with a pub on Farm Street???? Sounds like ready made material for him.
- Jamie, Southampton, 11/08/2009 17:35
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Hi Mickinlondon,
I bet you will be telling these robbers to get the hell out of the country, have a nice life, and when old and infirm come back and the N.H.S. will look after your medical needs, oh and they will be pardoned for what they did?.
see ya!
- John L., Scarborough N.YKS. England. U.K., 11/08/2009 17:34
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Hello Scarborough.
Its very true John: London makes great films; and they are true as well.
And don’t worry about the cameras; most of them don’t work or are already stolen.
If anyone in Scarborough wants some cheap diamonds for the wife or girlfriend; we have plenty to spare in London; just hop on a train; if you have one that isn’t being held up for some reason?
As Samuel Johnson once said; if you are tired of London; you are tired of life.
Everyday is different in London; we have Jewel Robbers some days; City Banker Robbers 7 days a weeks; and MP robbers 52 weeks a year; and Ronnie Biggs for just chatting with a beer to pass the time away, whilst waiting for the next robbery; it sure ain’t dull down here Scarborough.
- Mickinlondon, london., 11/08/2009 17:30
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Spot on Paul from Kent. I am a little more worried about that money then gems i could never afford....
- Pauline, North London, 11/08/2009 17:29
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Just because you wear a suit it doesn't mean you're 'smartly dressed'. In fact these two men look rather commonly dressed in their cheap, ill-fitting suits and Polyester ties.
- Jed, London, England, 11/08/2009 17:29
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A few lumps of rock are not worth £40m. Diamonds are abundant and are expensive only because of the DeBeers cartel. Who on earth needs stuff like this anyway? No one, which is why it does not matter that it's all been nicked.
- Neil, London, London UK, 11/08/2009 17:16
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i doubt if these guys are still in the country, everything takes forever here to organise, just like the roadworks that are everywhere and no one is working on the roads
- Mario Kempe, london, 11/08/2009 17:03
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The biggest heist in UK criminal history was perpetrated recently. The culprits are thought to have absconded with £120 billion of taxpayers money. They were described by witnesses as having public school accents and wearing pinstriped suits. The made off in a Bentley convertible heading towards Canary Wharf. Police described the heist as brazen.
- Paul, Kent, 11/08/2009 17:02
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So, two smartly dressed men who arrived at Graff Diamonds by taxi escaped with jewellery worth nearly £40 million. And Scotland Yard today issued CCTV images of the pair and appealed to anyone who recognises them to come forward urgently".
Unbelievable! Where are the mug shots? Instead of parading pictures of all the jewellery, why doesn't the press publish the photos of the two blokes asap. We are more likely to recognise their faces than the stuff. Has Graff already put the mug shots on their web site instead of bleating? Idiots!
- Haskey, London SE1, 11/08/2009 15:50
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Firing Guns: £40 million? talk about train robberies; the 30 year sentences didn’t work then?
Where is Jack Straw now we really need him?
- Mickinlondon, london., 11/08/2009 15:48
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Hello London,
It was said today in the papers we in the U.K. have more C.C.T.V. cameras than China, that said have we got all this raid on film?.
No, but I bet they will make a film about it?.
- John L., Scarborough N.YKS. England. U.K., 11/08/2009 14:24
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