A group of armed robbers raided a Hatton Garden jewellers stealing a stash of high-value items as the smash-and-grab crimewave continues to wreak havoc on the capital.
The three masked thieves entered the shop in London‘s infamous diamond district by posing as customers last Thursday.
Footage then shows the men smashing their way out of the locked glass security doors – holding watches and various pieces of jewellery from Danesh International Jewellers.
Upon leaving, they assaulted a member of staff who is in his 70s and threatened area security. The men fled on foot at around 5.15pm.
The Met Police are probing the crime, and say the alleged thieves are still on the run.
Met Police said: ‘Officers were on the scene in eight minutes and spoke to the business owner, who reported three people armed with knives had threatened staff and stolen a number of high-value watches and a ring.
‘Specialist detectives from the Met’s Flying Squad are investigating the robbery and we have increased patrols in the area by uniformed and plain clothes officers. No arrests have been made at this stage.’
While London has been hit with a wave of jewellery heists this is the first time thieves have been brazen enough to target Hatton Garden – where shops are typically under the ‘protection’ of the Adams family.
The three masked thieves entered the shop in London’s infamous diamond district by posing as customers last Thursday
Footage shows the men smashing their way out of the locked glass security doors
The men fled on foot at around 5.15pm, they have still not been caught
The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate also known as the Adams family, has notoriously controlled Hatton Garden for years.
Sources who have worked in the diamond district for decades previously told the Daily Mail that despite claims the family has less control, the gangsters are the reason local shops have avoided becoming a target of mass theft.
The source said: ‘Even now traders are terrified of crossing the family, their grip is still very much on the area.
‘It would be stupid for petty criminals to try and cross them.’
The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate, Adams family or the A-Team initially wielded power through extortion from market traders.
Run by three notorious brothers – Terry, Tommy and Patrick (Patsy) – they were born into a working-class Irish Catholic family, living in Islington.
As their influence grew they went from extorting traders to involving themselves with armed robbery and drug trafficking.
It is believed that the criminal family laundered their money through Hatton Garden, using a diamond merchant, Smithfields and a West End nightclub.
Pictured: Terry Adams – The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate, Adams family or the A-Team initially wielded power through extortion from market traders
Hatton Garden has only been the target of a major heist once when in 2015, six elderly crooks known as the ‘Diamond Wheezers’ stole £25million worth of gold bullion and jewels from a safety deposit company
One of the most famous endeavours they were associated with was the 2015 heist.
The burglars worked through the four-day weekend of the Easter and Passover Bank Holiday, when many of the nearby businesses were closed.
It was reported that they had entered the premises through a lift shaft, then drilled through the 50cm thick vault walls with a Hilti power drill.
Sources previously told the Daily Mail that Adams could have been the mastermind behind the entire operation.
‘This street is full of useful tips and information. It is quite possible they (the Adams firm) are the source of the robbery. A burglary of this size cannot happen just like that — out of thin air. And these people are so powerful here that they can do anything,’ one source said.
There was frenzied speculation that somewhere in the vault was a piece of evidence which could have seen Adams sent to prison for the rest of his life.
One Scotland Yard source told the Daily Mail: ‘This was never about stealing all that gold and jewellery. It was a job arranged by a Mr Big who only appears to have been interested in one particular box, the number of which he knew.
‘Once that had been identified and removed, he may have told the gang they could have their pick of whatever was there. The message would have been: “When the job’s done, feel free to fill your boots.”‘
Pictured: Gold ingots found by the police at the home of co-conspirator Michael Seed in Islington
Home to nearly 300 jewellery businesses and 70 shops the area is brimming with opportunity for thieves looking to grab a handful of expensive items from a window display and make a quick buck
London has now become a playground for criminals looking to steal some jewellery.
In the space of just a week, gangs targeted stores in Knightsbridge, Richmond and Shepherd’s Bush – smashing windows, ramming SUVs into barred doors and driving motorbikes through glass store fronts.
The most recent raid was on January 31, when hammer-wielding thugs broke into a family-run jewellers in plush Richmond.
Two men could be seen swinging a large hammer against the glass of Gregory & Co in front of stunned passersby.
The gang then peel away the glass and start filling a blue bag with some of the most expensive valuables on display.
Staff members inside can be seen desperately trying to claw back whatever they can before the criminals can snatch it.
Bravely, the employees then begin hitting the robbers with what appeared to be small boxes in a bid to deter them from swiping more goods – but with little success.
The thugs then flee the scene before officers can intervene.
A wave of jewellery heists have hit west London with thieves swiping thousands of pounds worth of luxury items from high-end stores in exclusive neighbourhoods (Pictured: Hammer-wielding thugs break into a family-run jewellers in plush Richmond)
Sultan Jewellery in Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, was targeted by several men who smashed the shop’s windows with sledgehammers
An employee who works at a nearby store and witnessed the incident told the Daily Mail how the robbers ‘appeared out of nowhere carrying a large sledgehammer and a bag’.
They added: ‘They then started smashing the jeweller’s window up.’
Just two days earlier and several miles away, a moped gang conducted an audacious ‘high value heist’ on a jewellery shop which itself was targeted in a similar raid just over six years ago.
Police launched an urgent investigation after Sultan Jewellery in Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, was attacked by several men who smashed the shop’s windows with a sledgehammer before fleeing with expensive jewellery.
Police officers were at the scene by 3.30am on Thursday January 29 – within three minutes of the raid – and were threatened with a hammer as the thieves tried to speed away on bikes.
A 33-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of aggravated burglary and remains in police custody – but several thugs escaped police.
Jack Stones, the landlord at the neighbouring Defectors Weld pub, said fresh blood was on the pavement outside the jewellers when he walked past at 7am, more than three hours after the attack.
One resident said the attack was eerily similar to another heist which saw three robbers armed with a sledgehammer smash into the shop with a Range Rover in October 2019.
In footage taken by a onlooker and shared widely on social media, two men can be seen swinging a larger hammer against the glass of family-owned jewellers Gregory & Co
Police were called to the Bucherer Rolex Boutique at One Hyde Park at 10.53am following reports a group of men wearing motorcycle helmets had barged in and threatened staff
Mr Khan, who only gave his surname, said: ‘It’s Shepherd’s Bush, there’s always young people causing trouble, kicking the doors of shops down and drinking. Crime around here has got so bad lately.’
Days prior, a gang smashed their way into the sought-after designer store Yves Saint Laurent in central London and fled with a haul of luxury handbags worth up to £30,000.
Footage taken by a passerby shows the balaclava-clad thugs clearing the shelves of the Bond Street store after ramming a black SUV through its window.
One was seen fleeing the scene on the back of a motorbike, as another clip showed the extent of the damage inflicted on the empty and battered shop.
A separate picture laid bare the aftermath of the robbery as the metal security shutters were severely damaged and pieces of glass were strewn across the floor.
A witness, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed to the Daily Mail how they saw the incident unravel after finishing work.
They said: ‘[I] was walking to my car near Yves Saint Laurent on Bond Street when I heard a loud bang.
‘I observed a blue car being driven into the storefront window, smashing the glass.’
An image posted on social media shows smashed glass cabinets inside the boutique and an abandoned motorbike
A separate picture lays bare the aftermath of the robbery as the metal security shutters were severely damaged and pieces of glass were strewn across the floor
They described how they saw several people rush into the premises as a motorbike was positioned outside.
‘I saw [them] remove items from the store and load them into the vehicle. After this, they left the scene.’
They said they feel ‘London is no longer as safe as it used to be’, adding that they filmed from a distance ‘due to the dangerous nature of the situation’.
‘I contacted the police immediately and was informed that they were already aware of the incident and that officers would be attending shortly,’ they added.
‘I was concerned by the length of time the individuals were able to remain at the scene removing bags, and by the absence of police presence during the incident.’
And, days earlier, at the start of a week of smash and grab raids, a gang of brazen robbers, riding motorbikes, stole thousands of pounds worth of Rolex watches from the brand’s flagship store in affluent Knightsbridge.
Phone footage shows two motorbikes descending on the Bucherer Rolex Boutique at One Hyde Park as another vehicle propped open the door.
Footage taken by a passerby shows balaclava-clad thugs clearing the shelves of the lavish Yves Saint Laurent store after ramming a car through its window
Several men were seen armed with what appeared to be crowbars as they rushed into the luxury boutique at around 10.53am on Tuesday January 27.
And just seconds later, another motorbike driven by an individual dressed in all-black and his face covered with a helmet also emerged onto the scene.
The video came amid reports that men wearing motorcycle helmets had barged in and threatened staff with weapons before stealing several items.
The burglars were then seen fleeing the luxury store just three minutes after the incident.
Images show smashed glass cabinets and one motorbike seemingly abandoned inside the boutique, leaning against the door, as police officers speak to Rolex staff.
Danesh International Jewellers have been contacted for comment.
