Moment ‘blowtorch-wielding’ jewel thief stuffs £10M of millionaire influencer’s bling in rucksack during brazen heist
THIS is the moment a “blowtorch-wielding” jewel thief stuffs millions of pounds worth of bling into a rucksack during a brazen heist.
The £10million robbery was recorded on CCTV showing a bold burglar grabbing handfuls of bangles, necklaces and rings – quickly shoving them into his bag.
Inside the London mansion, the masked robber was snapped creeping around the property before he went for the jewels, nearly bumping into the maid as he wandered through the corridor.
Footage shows him with a flat cap, black gloves and a dark jumper as he carefully scoops up multiple strings of beads and jewels.
He methodically stuffs the bling into a black bag and despite being caught on camera at the St John’s Wood house property on Avenue Road, he hasn’t yet been identified.
The owner of the stolen goods is hyper-rich Hong Kong influencer Shafira Huang, 35, known for being a cultural ambassador of Bond Street’s swanky Halcyon Gallery.
She has offered rewards totalling £1.5million for anyone that can catch the thief who made off with her items and return her belongings.
After the £38.5 million house was looted, the family immediately contacted the Metropolitan Police in a state of “big shock.”
Cops believe he is a white man in his late 20s to 30s and the family think it was a pre-meditated, professional, job.
Csaba Virag, a spokesperson for Ms Huang’s family, was in the Camden house at the time of the theft, December 7 at 5pm, and said the masked intruder “moved like a cat.”
He thought the thief had attempted to break in using the second floor window at 5pm.
The window had screwdriver or crowbar marks where it looks like someone made an effort to enter after using a ladder from the property next door, which is being renovated.
After his first failed attempt, the plucky burglar made his way to the roof of the five-storey mansion and lowered himself into a large concrete gutter to crawl through the bathroom window.
Virag said the robber managed to quietly climb down from the window but didn’t leave any marks on it or touch any of cosmetic products that were scattered all over the bathroom.
He also left the wad of £300 cash undisturbed and stealthily made his way to where the jewellery was kept.
The live-in governess owned the bathroom that was used as the break-in point, but luckily she was holding a meeting in the basement.
Virag added: “She would have been in that room and there would have been a confrontation, which is quite scary.”
Startling images show the thief just moments away from a maid who was carrying shirts along the corridor at 5.30pm when the thief was standing in the same spot at 5.29pm.
In one picture he is brandishing what looks like it could be a blowtorch, which has been described by cops as an “unidentified weapon.”
Using the measurements of his body against the door frame as he sneaked through the household, his height is was figured out to be around 5ft 8in.
CCTV shows the him ransacking the place, wrestling with jewellery cases and shoving expensive items into his bag.
“The residents were away at the time, and the burglar made-off with £150,000 worth of Hermes Crocodile Kelly handbags, £15,000 in cash and £10.4m of bespoke jewellery,” the Metropolitan Police said.
After the burglar had completed his £10million raid he nearly fumbled his escape, with his initial route blocked.
Virag continued: “He tried to open the window from the inside but we have the safety on the sash window.
“The stoppers only allow you to pull it down 8cm and if you don’t have the right tool to unscrew the pins, you can’t.
“He tried but couldn’t succeed.”
Instead the thief made an alternative escape and unfortunately was able to slip out without being caught.
The Huang family have offered up to £500,000 for helpful information and 10 per cent of the recovered items’ value if anyone can help track them down.
Shafira Huang documents her lavish lifestyle and luxury travels online, and was described as “magnet” from those observing her flaunting her fortune online.
Her family made their millions mainly through real estate and her husband is an international businessman.
Staff of the multi-million pound residence agreed to do a lie-detector test and all were said to pass.
The family are now focusing helping the cops track down the jewel raider.
The Met Police released a list of the stolen goods
Among the items stolen were a number of unique pieces, including
- Graff: A 10.73-carat diamond ring
- De Beers: Two butterfly diamond rings
- Hermes: A 3.03-carat ring, aquamarine ring and ‘Niloticud Lumiere’ necklace
- Van Cleef & Arpels: Clip featuring with gold, diamonds and sapphires, ‘Fleur des Mers’ ring with diamonds, sapphires and aquamarines, a diamond, sapphire and platinum necklace/bracelet collection (manufactured in 1978) and a gold, diamond and sapphire necklace.
- Chrome Hearts: Gold and emerald bracelet, gold and sapphire bracelet.
- Chopard: Diamond earrings.
- Other: Pink sapphire earrings from Katherine Wang, shaped like butterflies.