Wednesday, August 12, 2009

London's Biggest-Ever Diamond Heist

It's always cool to me when some shit you've seen in the movies comes to fruition in real life. Say what you will about the morality of it all, but you can't help but marvel at the fact that these guys managed to pull off a £40 million come up (just over $66 million U.S.). I'm sure the bystanders were pretty shaken up by the whole thing, but personally I can't really muster too much sympathy for a high-end diamond retail chain. In any case, here's the story from The Independent's Mark Hughes:

A 50-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the £40 million armed robbery at a Mayfair jewellers - Britain's biggest ever jewel heist.

The man was arrested at an address in Illford, east London, on Monday, four days after the robbery, which took place at the Graff Diamond jewellers on New Bond Street at 4.40pm on Thursday.

The man, who has since been released on bail, is not one of the two men in the CCTV footage released by the Metropolitan Police. A police source described him as a "minor player".

This morning mobile phone footage emerged which showed the moment that two men escaped with their haul. The video was taken by a man who just happened to be filming on New Bond Street at the time the robbery happened.

In the video the two suited suspects are clearly seen leaving the store. A man's voice shouts "call the police" before a gunshot is fired and screams are heard.

The footage then distorts and re-starts with a woman talking. a man reassures her: "They are gone, they are gone. Calm down, calm down."

The men stole 43 pieces of jewellery in two minutes before taking a female staff member hostage to make their escape.

Their haul included a pair of white, round, diamond double-hoop earrings, a yellow diamond flower necklace, a platinum white Marquise diamond ring and a Chronograph men's 45mm watch.

Full Story Here


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