Scotland Yard is investigating a raid in the heart of London’s jewellery district after reports that burglars used heavy cutting equipment to access hundreds of safe-deposit boxes in Hatton Garden.
There were reports that more than 300 boxes were opened by the raiders over the Easter weekend, although police would not confirm the number. Officers were called to investigate on Tuesday morning, and police have launched a manhunt.
Flying Squad officers are investigating a burglary at a safety deposit business in Hatton Garden #EC1. Enquiries continue.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 7, 2015
A police spokesman said: “At approximately 8.10am police were called to a report of a burglary at a safety deposit business at Hatton Garden, EC1.
“The Flying Squad is investigating and detectives are currently at the scene.
“It appears that heavy cutting equipment has been used to get into a vault at the address, and a number of safety deposit boxes have been broken into.”
Staff in a nearby shop told the Guardian that the raid was carried out at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit, which was also the target of a 2003 raid in which £1.5m of jewellery and cash were stolen.
There were reports that a half-cut aqua diamond worth £500,000 could have been among the items taken by burglars. Hatton Garden manufacturer Norman Bean told the Mirror: “A friend had a half-cut aqua diamond in there. He’s terrified it has gone.”
Lewis Malka, a diamond jewellery expert who works in Hatton Garden, tweeted about the raid.
Quiet day in the office and then I find out one of my clients antique bracelets was stolen in the #HattonGarden #robbery :(
— Lewis Malka (@lewismalka) April 7, 2015
Malka said the value of the haul was likely to amount to “hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds”.
He said: “From what I understand, it happened over the weekend and it looked like they had come in through the lift shaft and gone into the basement where the safety deposit is.
“Most of the people who have got safety deposits there are people in the trade.
“I know for a fact that some of my work colleagues have got boxes down there and we are talking about hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds in goods.”
Malka said the safe-deposit boxes were used to store both jewellery and loose diamonds in packets.
“The police aren’t allowing anyone in yet, so no one is too sure whose box has or hasn’t been touched,” he said.
“With the robbers having probably four days over the Easter weekend, there’s a good chance that they went through everything.”
