£10m jewellery heist exposes gaps in Camden’s security despite armed guards nearby

31 December 2024 , 12:25

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The victims of a £10 million jewellery heist said it was ‘100% a pre planned job’ by a highly professional thief.

A spokesperson for multi-millionaire Instagram influencer Shafira Huang told Metro an intruder broke into their home on Avenue Road, Camden, on December 7, through a second-floor window while she was away.

He managed to steal £150,000 worth of Hermes Crocodile Kelly handbags, £15,000 in cash, and £10.4million of bespoke jewellery.

The family has now issued CCTV images to Metro of a man they want to speak to following the burglary.

The spokesman in the UK told Metro: ‘This was 100% a pre planned professional job. Everyone is ok, but only by 63 seconds a member of staff would have been in direct confrontation with the robber had they entered the room slightly earlier.

‘I can categorically say that all windows in the house were closed.’

He added: ‘They are an absolutely lovely family. Time is a great healer but obviously it’s a shock.’

The burglary took place just doors from the Israeli embassy where armed guards patrol the grounds.

It is understood Ms Huang, who is an art collector and cultural ambassador of the Halcyon Gallery on Bond Street, was not in the house when the burglary took place.

PRIMROSE HILL ROBBERY SUSPECT Victim of ?10,400,000 London jewellery heist is an art influencer eiqehiqzdiqxeinv

CCTV footage exclusively given to Metro shows a man dressed in black and grey going through his backpack (Picture: Huang Family/Metro)

PRIMROSE HILL ROBBERY SUSPECT Victim of ?10,400,000 London jewellery heist is an art influencer

The man is then seen walking through the property earlier this month (Picture: Huang Family/Metro)

sarah ferguson Shafira Huang Wealthy high society influencer who was victim of ?10.4m jewellery heist: Art collector who flaunts lavish lifestyle including dinners with Fergie offers ?1.5m reward to find burglars This is the multi-millionaire Instagram influencer who had over ?10million worth of jewellery stolen from her Primrose Hill mansion - as police ramp up their manhunt for the armed thief who broke into her home. Shafira Huang, an art collector and cultural ambassador of the Halcyon Gallery on Bond Street, was not in her home on the leafy North London neighbourhood when the raider struck. The burglar broke through the second-floor window of the large home on Avenue Road, where properties cost more than ?15million on average. The glamorous victim has ramped up a following of more than 13,000 people on her public social media account by flaunting her fabulously wealthy lifestyle that most people could only dream of. Most of the snaps show her globetrotting around the world to exotic locations travelling around on a private jet with Louis Vuitton luggage in tow. From yachting around the harbour of Hong Kong while snacking on seafood to travelling to the desert in the Middle East and skiing in Aspen, the art connoisseur and her husband, whose name is unknown, appear to have the perfect life. And while it is unknown if this was a random theft, the influencer has previously shown off several of the items the suspect stole. The man, who is described as white in his 20s or 30s, made off with ?10.4m worth of custom gems including a Graff 10.73-carat diamond ring, two De Beers butterfly diamond rings, and a Hermes 3.03-carat ring, aquamarine ring and Niloticud Lumiere necklace.

Images from Ms Huang’s Instagram show her travelling to exotic locations on private jets with Louis Vuitton luggage (Picture: Shafiraone/Instagram)

Detectives are appealing to the public for help and information after ?10.4million worth of jewellery was stolen in a burglary at a home in Camden. Between about 17.00hrs and 17.30hrs on Saturday, 7 December, an intruder targeted an address in the area of Avenue Road, NW8 entering the property through a second-floor window. 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.

One of the stolen jewellery pieces (Picture: Met Police)

Images from her Instagram show her travelling to exotic locations on private jets with Louis Vuitton luggage.

According to the family spokesman, the thief was in and out of the home in 19 minutes, having started on the roof, climbed down and tried to break through one window but was unsuccessful.

They then managed to break in through a second floor window.

The CCTV images show a man wearing a black jacket, black backpack, black shoes, grey trousers and a grey cap and going through his bag while kneeling on the floor.

The burglar entered through a second-floor window (Picture: Met Police)

£150,000 worth of the Hermes Crocodile Kelly bags were taken (Picture: Met Police)

Many of the items were bespoke (Picture: Met Police)

Police described the theft as ‘brazen’ (Picture: Met Police)

A second image shows the man wearing the backpack on his front as he walks through the house.

It is understood that the family targeted in the £10m burglary are beefing up their security following the raid.

A resident told Metro: ‘This was very brazen, considering there are armed guards a few doors down. They were taking a chance it’s very brazen.’

Another neighbour told Metro: ‘I have lived here years things are getting bad. I saw the police cars pull up and wondered what had happened. It’s becoming regular. We have all had to up our security.’

A caretaker at a nearby house added: ‘Two guys tried to burgle us but they were caught in CCTV casing the house and police were down on them like a tonne of bricks.’

London’s Metropolitan Police issued an appeal for information yesterday, and said it took place between 5-5.30pm earlier this month.

Detective Constable Paulo Roberts said: ‘This is a brazen offence, where the suspect has entered the property while armed with an unknown weapon and violated the sanctuary of the victims’ home.

‘The suspect has stolen £10.4million worth of jewellery, much of which is sentimental and unique in its design, and therefore easily identifiable.

‘We urge anyone who was in the area of Avenue Road, NW8, and saw anything suspicious to please come forward.

‘Also, if you have seen this jewellery since, someone has offered to sell you it, or you have any further information, then please also contact the police or Crimestoppers anonymously.’

Elizabeth Baker

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Jewellery, Hermes, Crime, Camden, Shafira Huang