Gold from a toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace may have been smuggled out of the UK as police hunt a “significant amount” in criminal assets linked to the thieves behind the heist.
James Sheen is believed to have had the £4.75 million 18-carat gold toilet broken up before he tried selling the parts to underworld contacts, prompting searches in Birmingham and Hatton Garden in London, Thames Valley Police said.
But the force said it is working with international partners and has not ruled out the chance that the gold was moved overseas.
Detective Superintendent Bruce Riddell told the PA news agency: “It could have got abroad.
“Obviously, there’s restrictions on moving gold outside the country and if you’re doing that you’re taking a bit of a chance going through a border.
“So, it’s probably more likely to be that at least the identity of it has changed in the UK before it was moved anywhere else.”
Mr Riddell said the next stage of the probe is the identification and recovery of criminal assets, including luxury goods bought after the crime.
He said: “We will continue to explore all opportunities, along with our partners, to recover assets from those connected to this investigation and their criminality.”
On “career criminal” Sheen specifically, he said: “Additional financial investigations are actively ongoing with our partners for a significant amount in assets.”
The officer added: “All he wants to do is make as much money as quickly as possible.
“He’s not frightened of who he hurts or what he damages or the sentimental value of some of the items that he will steal.”
The force has applied for a serious crime prevention order (SCPO) to take effect upon Sheen’s release from prison, which if breached could mean he faces another five years behind bars.
Sheen was jailed for four years and his sentence will run consecutively to the 19 years and four-month sentence he is currently serving for attacks on cash machines, a museum burglary and fraud.
Sheen admitted stealing the toilet and Michael Jones was found guilty of burglary after a trial.
The pair were previously convicted in a Trading Standards investigation of defrauding elderly people by charging them “way over the odds” for poor roofing work, Mr Riddell said.
Frederick Doe was convicted of conspiracy to transfer criminal property and was given a suspended sentence.
Mr Riddell said the investigation following the toilet theft was “complex”, with hundreds of hours of CCTV footage reviewed, more than 2,000 statements recovered, mobile devices seized and 12 people arrested in total.
Officers found images and voice notes on Sheen’s phone allegedly showing the gains he had made from the theft, as well as traces of gold on gloves and a tracksuit.
The case is to be reviewed by senior detectives, with Mr Riddell “confident” they know at least two other alleged offenders but there is not yet enough evidence to charge them.
There may also be a “lot of people” involved in handling the gold who “aren’t fully aware that they are committing crime”, the officer added.
