Thieves steal £1.8m in Green Street jewel heist
Hole in the wall of the jewellers (Picture: Metropolitan Police) - Credit: Metropolitan Police
Sledgehammer-wielding thieves stole £1.8 million worth of goods in a “meticulously planned and audacious” jewel shop heist in Forest Gate.
They smashed a hole in the wall of Joyalukkas in Green Street and crawled inside to take Asian gold and diamond necklaces, bracelets, pendants and earrings.
The raid took place between 3am and 6.40am on Monday, July 10. Staff had arrived at work that morning to find the store in disarray and called police.
Eight suspects are believed to have been involved with three entering the store and the rest acting as lookouts.
Today officers released CCTV footage and images of three of the men involved who acted as lookouts and footage of two suspects inside the shop.
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The three men used a sledgehammer and a crow bar, left at the scene, to create a hole in the rear of the shop which backs onto an alleyway off Neville Road.
They crawled inside and spent more than three hours gathering the jewellery from drawers and counters, stuffing it into rucksacks.
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After leaving through the hole, they are believed to have climbed a wall into a builders’ yard behind the shop before making off towards Plashet Road.
The remaining suspects acted as lookouts, three of whom were watching the shop from 5pm the previous day.
One wore a black coat, another a t-shirt and shorts and the third a pink hooded top.
The other suspects are described as all men with some aged in their mid-30s. The three inside the shop wore gloves and had their faces covered.
“This was an meticulously planned and audacious raid,” said Det Ch Insp Andy Pallett, adding: “While we think it only took the suspects around 20 mins [sic] to make the hole, it must have been noisy work and we would appeal for anyone who heard or saw anything suspicious to contact us.”
Police would also like to hear from anyone who may have been offered jewellery for sale in the days or weeks after the raid.
Enquiries continue with no arrest made.
Anyone with information should call Newham CID on 020 8217 5414 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
