Graff Diamonds robbery
Encyclopedia
The Graff Diamonds robbery took place on 6 August 2009 when two men posing as customers entered the premises of Graff Diamonds
in New Bond Street, London
and stole jewellery worth nearly £40 million (US$65 million). It was believed to be the largest ever gems heist in Britain
at the time, and the second largest British robbery after the £53 million raid
on a Securitas
depot in Kent
in 2006. The thieves' haul totalled 43 items of jewellery, consisting of rings, bracelets, necklaces and wristwatches. One necklace alone has been reported as being worth more than £3.5m Britain’s previous largest jewellery robbery also took place at Graff's, in 2003. As of August, 2010 none of the stolen jewels have been recovered.
. The artist took four hours to apply the disguises, having been told that it was for a music video. Viewing the results in a mirror, Aman Kassaye commented: "My own mother wouldn't recognise me now," to which his accomplice is reported to have laughed and replied: "That's got to be a good thing, hasn't it?" The same make-up studio had unwittingly helped disguise
members of the gang that robbed the Securitas depot in 2006.
August 6, 2009 at 4.40pm, two sharply dressed men arrived at the Graff Diamonds jewelry store by taxi
and once inside produced two handguns which they used to threaten staff. They made no attempt to conceal their faces from the premises' CCTV cameras due to their elaborate disguises. Even though one of the robbers was wearing leather gloves in August, store security allowed him entry, being used to the eccentric behavior of some super-wealthy clients.
Petra Ehnar, a shop assistant was forced at gunpoint to empty the store's display cabinets. A total of 43 rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches were taken. She was briefly held hostage
at gunpoint and was forced into the street during the getaway. She testified that the robbers told her that she would be killed if she did not carry out their demands. After releasing the hostage outside the store, one of the robbers fired a shot into the air to create confusion, and both escaped the scene in a blue BMW
vehicle. This vehicle was abandoned in nearby Dover Street, where a second gunshot was fired into the ground while the robbers switched to a second vehicle, a silver Mercedes
. They again switched vehicles in Farm Street, after which there was no further information regarding their whereabouts.
All of the diamonds had been laser-inscribed with the Graff logo and a Gemological Institute of America
identification number.
Detectives investigating the robbery stated: "They knew exactly what they were looking for and we suspect they already had a market for the jewels." The suspects' details were circulated to all ports and airports but police believed they would have an elaborately prepared escape route and had already left the country.
The robbery was being investigated by Barnes Flying Squad
, headed by Detective Chief Inspector Pam Mace.
, 72, lost more than $10 million USA dollars (£6.6 million) as a result of the robbery. The actual value of the pieces for insurance purposes, was put at $39 million (£26 million). But according to Nicholas Paine, the company secretary, the syndicate that insured Graff was only liable for $28.9 million.
On 20 August 2009 two men, Craig Calderwood, 26, of no fixed abode
, and Solomun Beyene, 24, of Lilestone Road, London NW8, were charged
in connection with the robbery. On 21 August, a third man, Clinton Mogg, 42, of Westby Road, Bournemouth
, was also charged, and Calderwood and Beyene were remanded in custody by Westminster Magistrates' Court. On 22 August, Mogg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court. All three were remanded in custody to appear at Kingston Crown Court on 1 September. A fourth man, aged 50, was arrested and bailed. As of mid-October 2009, as many as ten male suspects have been arrested in connection with the robbery. Charges brought against the individuals include conspiracy
with others to commit robbery
, attempted murder
, holding someone hostage
, possessing firearms and using a handgun to resist arrest
.
Aman Kassaye, who planned and executed the heist, was found guilty of conspiracy to rob, kidnap and possession of a firearm after a three-month trial at Woolwich Crown Court. On August 7, 2010 he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Three other men – Solomun Beyene, 25, of London, Clinton Mogg, 43, of Bournemouth, and Thomas Thomas, 46, of Kingston upon Thames – were each jailed for 16 years after also being convicted of conspiracy to rob.
As of August 2010, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered. Experts believe the jewellery has probably been broken up so the precious stones could be anonymously resold after being recut.
In 1980 two Chicago
based gangster
s armed with a handgun and a hand grenade
stole jewellery valued at £1.5 million from the Sloane Street
premises. Mafiosi
Joseph Scalise and Arthur Rachel, who took "less than a minute" to commit the crime, were apprehended eleven hours later in the United States
and were extradited
to England where they were tried, convicted and imprisoned for nine years. Their haul had included the 26 carat Marlborough diamond, worth £400,000 at the time, which has never been recovered.
In 1993 the firm's Hatton Garden
workshop premises was robbed of jewellery valued at £7 million. The robbery was attributed to a group of armed robbers known as The Rascal Gang due to the Bedford Rascal
vans they used.
In 2003 the New Bond Street premises was robbed by two men from the Pink Panthers
international jewel thief network who stole 47 pieces of jewellery worth £23 million.
In 2005 three armed robbers stole jewellery valued at £2 million from the Sloane Street premises.
In 2007 two robbers, who arrived at the Sloane Street premises in a chauffer-driven Bentley Continental Flying Spur
threatened staff at gunpoint and stole jewellery worth £10 million. In the same year, the Graff premises in Wafi City
, Dubai
was targeted by the Pink Panthers again, using two Audi A8
cars to carry out a ram raid. Jewellery worth AED
14.7 million (£2.4 million) was taken, although later recovered when two of the gang, both Serbia
ns, were arrested.
Graff Diamonds
- History :It was founded in London by Laurence Graff in the 1960s and now has worldwide operations which range from cutting the raw stones and manufacture of jewelry to the final retailing from their 26 boutiques...
in New Bond Street, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and stole jewellery worth nearly £40 million (US$65 million). It was believed to be the largest ever gems heist in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at the time, and the second largest British robbery after the £53 million raid
Securitas depot robbery
The Securitas depot robbery was the largest cash robbery in British history, that took place on the evening of 21 February 2006 from 18:30 GMT until the early hours of 22 February...
on a Securitas
Securitas AB
Securitas AB is a security services , monitoring, consulting and investigation group, based in Stockholm, Sweden. The group has approximately 300,000 employees in 50 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Securitas AB is listed at Nasdaq OMX Stockholm,...
depot in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 2006. The thieves' haul totalled 43 items of jewellery, consisting of rings, bracelets, necklaces and wristwatches. One necklace alone has been reported as being worth more than £3.5m Britain’s previous largest jewellery robbery also took place at Graff's, in 2003. As of August, 2010 none of the stolen jewels have been recovered.
The robbery
The robbers used the services of a professional make-up artist to alter their hair by using wigs, their skin tones and their features using latex prostheticsProsthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects...
. The artist took four hours to apply the disguises, having been told that it was for a music video. Viewing the results in a mirror, Aman Kassaye commented: "My own mother wouldn't recognise me now," to which his accomplice is reported to have laughed and replied: "That's got to be a good thing, hasn't it?" The same make-up studio had unwittingly helped disguise
Deception
Deception, beguilement, deceit, bluff, mystification, bad faith, and subterfuge are acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth . Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand. It can employ distraction, camouflage or concealment...
members of the gang that robbed the Securitas depot in 2006.
August 6, 2009 at 4.40pm, two sharply dressed men arrived at the Graff Diamonds jewelry store by taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
and once inside produced two handguns which they used to threaten staff. They made no attempt to conceal their faces from the premises' CCTV cameras due to their elaborate disguises. Even though one of the robbers was wearing leather gloves in August, store security allowed him entry, being used to the eccentric behavior of some super-wealthy clients.
Petra Ehnar, a shop assistant was forced at gunpoint to empty the store's display cabinets. A total of 43 rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches were taken. She was briefly held hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
at gunpoint and was forced into the street during the getaway. She testified that the robbers told her that she would be killed if she did not carry out their demands. After releasing the hostage outside the store, one of the robbers fired a shot into the air to create confusion, and both escaped the scene in a blue BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
vehicle. This vehicle was abandoned in nearby Dover Street, where a second gunshot was fired into the ground while the robbers switched to a second vehicle, a silver Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
. They again switched vehicles in Farm Street, after which there was no further information regarding their whereabouts.
All of the diamonds had been laser-inscribed with the Graff logo and a Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Institute of America
The Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, is a nonprofit institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect all buyers and sellers of gemstones by setting and maintaining the standards used to evaluate...
identification number.
Detectives investigating the robbery stated: "They knew exactly what they were looking for and we suspect they already had a market for the jewels." The suspects' details were circulated to all ports and airports but police believed they would have an elaborately prepared escape route and had already left the country.
The robbery was being investigated by Barnes Flying Squad
Flying Squad
The Flying Squad is a branch of the Specialist Crime Directorate, within London's Metropolitan Police Service. The Squad's purpose is to investigate commercial armed robberies, along with the prevention and investigation of other serious armed crime...
, headed by Detective Chief Inspector Pam Mace.
Financial Loss to Graff Diamonds
Since none of the stolen jewelry was recovered as of August 2010, Graff Diamonds, owned by the billionaire tycoon Lawrence GraffLawrence Graff
Laurence Graff is an English jeweller. He is best known as a supplier of unique jewellery and rare jewels to the wealthy. In 2008, he bought the Wittelsbach Diamond for £16.4 million...
, 72, lost more than $10 million USA dollars (£6.6 million) as a result of the robbery. The actual value of the pieces for insurance purposes, was put at $39 million (£26 million). But according to Nicholas Paine, the company secretary, the syndicate that insured Graff was only liable for $28.9 million.
Arrests and charges
The robbers were shortly caught after police searched one of the getaway cars abandoned by the robbers. A pay-as-you go mobile phone was discovered that robbers Aman Kassaye and Craig Calderwood left in the car after ramming into a black cab. After the collision, in their haste to transfer to a second vehicle, the robbers forgot the mobile phone that was wedged between the driver's seat and the handbrake. Anonymous numbers stored on the mobile phone quickly allowed police to discover the identity of the robbers and track their movements.On 20 August 2009 two men, Craig Calderwood, 26, of no fixed abode
No fixed abode
No fixed abode or without fixed abode is a legal term generally applied to those who do not have a fixed geographical location as their residence...
, and Solomun Beyene, 24, of Lilestone Road, London NW8, were charged
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
in connection with the robbery. On 21 August, a third man, Clinton Mogg, 42, of Westby Road, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, was also charged, and Calderwood and Beyene were remanded in custody by Westminster Magistrates' Court. On 22 August, Mogg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court. All three were remanded in custody to appear at Kingston Crown Court on 1 September. A fourth man, aged 50, was arrested and bailed. As of mid-October 2009, as many as ten male suspects have been arrested in connection with the robbery. Charges brought against the individuals include conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
with others to commit robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
, holding someone hostage
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, possessing firearms and using a handgun to resist arrest
Resisting arrest
Resisting arrest is a term used to describe a criminal charge against an individual who has committed, depending on the jurisdiction, at least one of the following acts:* threatening a police officer with physical violence while being arrested...
.
Aman Kassaye, who planned and executed the heist, was found guilty of conspiracy to rob, kidnap and possession of a firearm after a three-month trial at Woolwich Crown Court. On August 7, 2010 he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Three other men – Solomun Beyene, 25, of London, Clinton Mogg, 43, of Bournemouth, and Thomas Thomas, 46, of Kingston upon Thames – were each jailed for 16 years after also being convicted of conspiracy to rob.
As of August 2010, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered. Experts believe the jewellery has probably been broken up so the precious stones could be anonymously resold after being recut.
Previous robberies
Graff Diamonds has been the target of several previous high profile robberies.In 1980 two Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
based gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
s armed with a handgun and a hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
stole jewellery valued at £1.5 million from the Sloane Street
Sloane Street
Sloane Street is a major London street which runs north to south, from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, crossing Pont Street about half way along, entirely in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Sloane Street takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased the surrounding area in 1712...
premises. Mafiosi
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
Joseph Scalise and Arthur Rachel, who took "less than a minute" to commit the crime, were apprehended eleven hours later in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and were extradited
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to England where they were tried, convicted and imprisoned for nine years. Their haul had included the 26 carat Marlborough diamond, worth £400,000 at the time, which has never been recovered.
In 1993 the firm's Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is a street and area near Holborn in London, England. It is most famous for being London’s jewellery quarter and centre of the UK diamond trade, but the area is also now home to a diverse range of media and creative businesses....
workshop premises was robbed of jewellery valued at £7 million. The robbery was attributed to a group of armed robbers known as The Rascal Gang due to the Bedford Rascal
Bedford Rascal
The Bedford Rascal , also built as the Suzuki Supercarry is a microvan that was developed as a joint venture between General Motors and Suzuki. It was sold under GM's British-based Bedford marque as well as in Suzuki form...
vans they used.
In 2003 the New Bond Street premises was robbed by two men from the Pink Panthers
Pink Panthers
Pink Panthers is the name given by Interpol to an international jewel thief network, named after The Pink Panther series of crime comedy films, which is responsible for some of the most audacious thefts in criminal history. They are responsible for what have been termed some of the most glamorous...
international jewel thief network who stole 47 pieces of jewellery worth £23 million.
In 2005 three armed robbers stole jewellery valued at £2 million from the Sloane Street premises.
In 2007 two robbers, who arrived at the Sloane Street premises in a chauffer-driven Bentley Continental Flying Spur
Bentley Continental Flying Spur (2005)
The Bentley Continental Flying Spur is a four-door variant of the Bentley Continental GT coupé. The Bentley Continental Flying Spur was introduced in 2005....
threatened staff at gunpoint and stole jewellery worth £10 million. In the same year, the Graff premises in Wafi City
Wafi City
Wafi City is a mixed-use development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The complex includes a mall, hotel, restaurants, residences, and a nightclub. The "city" is styled after Ancient Egypt. This themed environment includes columns reminiscent of Karnak, small pyramids, and images of pharaohs...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
was targeted by the Pink Panthers again, using two Audi A8
Audi A8
The Audi A8 is a four-door, full-size, luxury sedan car manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, the A8 has been offered with front wheel drive or permanent four-wheel drive, with multitronic or tiptronic automatic transmissions — and in short- and...
cars to carry out a ram raid. Jewellery worth AED
United Arab Emirates dirham
The dirham is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. The ISO 4217 code for the United Arab Emirates dirham is AED. Unofficial abbreviations include DH or Dhs. The dirham is subdivided into 100 ....
14.7 million (£2.4 million) was taken, although later recovered when two of the gang, both Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
ns, were arrested.
External links
- Hunt for £40m jewel heist gang - BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
News Channel report - Graff Diamonds - Official site
- Jewellery worth $65million stolen in armed robbery - Metropolitan Police Bulletin