Jewellery worth £10.4m stolen from London home in one of Britain’s biggest burglaries
GuardianDEC 24 2024
$13M Jewelry Heist Rocks London's Billionaire Row
Above: A townhouse in Primrose Hill, the neighborhood near the scene of the burglary, stands on Oct. 24, 2024, in London, England. Image copyright: Jack Taylor/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A lone burglar stole £10.4M (US$13M) worth of jewelry and £150K (US$187K) in designer handbags from art collector Shafira Huang's mansion on Avenue Road, London, during a 19-minute heist on Dec. 7.
The suspect, described as a White male in his late 20s to 30s, reportedly gained entry through a second-floor window at 5:11 pm while armed with an unknown weapon. He then escaped at 5:30 pm.
The stolen items include a 10.73-carat Graff diamond ring, De Beers butterfly diamond rings, Hermès Crocodile Kelly handbags, and unique 1978 Van Cleef & Arpels pieces. Police warn the items' unique designs make them hard to sell.
The Spin
Left narrative
This burglary, while unprecedentedly epic in nature, underscores a stark economic divide. In a city where wealth disparity is palpable, such high-value crimes reflect not just greed but also systemic failures regarding the haves — such as those who live in Primrose Hill — and the have-nots. When basic needs become unaffordable for many, the desperation can lead to crime, highlighting the urgent need for equitable economic policies.
Right narrative
The entire culture of London has been destroyed by liberal policies, fueling a sharp rise in crime, particularly thefts. While a heist like this is irregular, the decriminalization of low-value thefts has normalized shoplifting, leading to a record number of robberies this year. With the vast majority of offenders going uncharged, coupled with the £200 shoplifting threshold and reduced police responses, average Londoners, not millionaires, make up most of the victims