Police are searching for a burglar who stole more than £10 million ($12.5 million) worth of bespoke jewelry in north-west London in what is thought to be one of the biggest thefts from a British home.
London’s Metropolitan police said an intruder targeted a home in the area of Avenue Road – one of the most exclusive addresses in the British capital.
The burglar entered the property through a second-floor window around 5 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) on December 7 while the residents were not home, police said in a Monday press release.
“The burglar made-off with £150,000 worth of Hermes Crocodile Kelly handbags, £15,000 in cash and £10.4m of bespoke jewelry,” the police said.
Police said the suspect has been described as a “white man in his late 20s to 30s” who had his face covered during the incident, and was wearing a dark hoodie, cargo pants and a baseball hat.
Among the stolen items are a 10.73-carat diamond ring from Graff; two butterfly diamond rings from De Beers; a 3.03-carat diamond ring, an aquamarine ring and a necklace from Hermes. An image shared by the police also showed a bracelet bearing the name “Shafira.”
Chopard diamond earrings, and various pieces of jewelry from the French luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels were also among the burgled items.
“This is a brazen offense, where the suspect has entered the property while armed with an unknown weapon and violated the sanctuary of the victims’ home,” Detective Constable Paulo Roberts, who is investigating the burglary, said in the statement.
“The suspect has stolen £10.4m worth of jewelry, much of which is sentimental and unique in its design, and therefore easily identifiable,” he added.
Csaba Virag, chief of staff to the family, told The Guardian the break-in appears to have been done by a “lone wolf,” but turning the stolen items into money could involve a wider network.
He also told the British newspaper that he was at home when the burglary took place.