2009 Graff Diamonds robbery: Difference between revisions

The Graff Diamonds robbery took place on 6 August 2009 when two men posing as customers entered the premises of Graff Diamonds in New Bond Street, London and stole jewellery worth nearly £40 million (US$65 million).^[1] It was believed to be the largest ever gems heist in Britain at the time, and the second largest British robbery after the £53 million raid on a Securitas depot in Kent in 2006.^[2][3] The thieves' haul totalled 43 items of jewellery, consisting of rings, bracelets, necklaces and wristwatches.^[2] Britain’s previous largest jewellery robbery also took place at Graff's, in 2003.^[4]

The men arrived at the store by taxi and once inside produced two handguns which they used to threaten staff. A female member of staff was briefly held hostage as they exited the premises, at which point they fired a shot, although nobody was injured. Having released her they then escaped the scene in a blue BMW vehicle. This vehicle was abandoned in nearby Dover Street, where a second gunshot was fired into the ground while the robbers switched to a second vehicle, a silver Mercedes. They again switched vehicles in Farm Street, after which there was no further information regarding their whereabouts.^[3]

Detectives investigating the robbery stated: "They knew exactly what they were looking for and we suspect they already had a market for the jewels." The suspects details were circulated to all ports and airports but police believed they would have an elaborately prepared escape route and had already left the country.^[2]

The robbery was being investigated by Barnes Flying Squad, headed by Detective Chief Inspector Pam Mace.

Graff Diamonds has been the target of several previous high profile robberies.

In 1980 two Chicago based gangsters armed with a handgun and a hand grenade stole jewellery valued at £1.5 million from the Sloane Street premises. Mafiosi Joseph Scalise and Arthur Rachel, who took "less than a minute" to commit the crime, were apprehended eleven hours later in the United States and were extradited to England where they were tried, convicted and imprisoned for nine years.^[5] Their haul had included the 26 carat Marlborough diamond, worth £400,000 at the time, which has never been recovered.^[6]

In 1993 the firm's Hatton Garden workshop premises was robbed of jewellery valued at £7 million. The robbery was attributed to a group of armed robbers known as The Rascal Gang due to the Bedford Rascal vans they used.^[1]

In 2003 the New Bond Street premises was robbed by two men from the Pink Panthers international jewel thief network who stole 47 pieces of jewellery worth £23 million.^[1]

In 2005 three armed robbers stole jewellery valued at £2 million from the Sloane Street premises.^[7]

In 2007 two robbers, who arrived at the Sloane Street premises in a chauffer-driven Bentley Continental Flying Spur threatened staff at gunpoint and stole jewellery worth £10 million.^[1] In the same year, the Graff premises in Wafi City, Dubai was targeted by the Pink Panthers again, using two Audi A8 cars to carry out a ram raid.^[8] Jewellery worth AED14.7 million (£2.4 million) was taken, although later recovered when two of the gang, both Serbians, were arrested.^[9]

• Graff Diamonds - Official site
• Jewellery worth $65million stolen in armed robbery - Metropolitan Police Bulletin

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