$13M Jewelry Heist Rocks London's Billionaire Row
A lone burglar stole £10.4M (US$13M) worth of jewelry and £150K (US$187K) in designer handbags from art collector Shafira Huang's mansion on Avenue Road, London, during a 19-minute heist on Dec. 7.
Facts
- A lone burglar stole £10.4M (US$13M) worth of jewelry and £150K (US$187K) in designer handbags from art collector Shafira Huang's mansion on Avenue Road, London, during a 19-minute heist on Dec. 7.[1][2]
- The suspect, described as a White male in his late 20s to 30s, reportedly gained entry through a second-floor window at 5:11 pm while armed with an unknown weapon. He then escaped at 5:30 pm.[1][3]
- The stolen items include a 10.73-carat Graff diamond ring, De Beers butterfly diamond rings, Hermès Crocodile Kelly handbags, and unique 1978 Van Cleef & Arpels pieces. Police warn the items' unique designs make them hard to sell.[1][4][5]
- According to CCTV footage, the burglar nearly encountered household staff, coming within 63 seconds of direct confrontation with a maid during the heist.[1][6]
- The property is located on Avenue Road, one of London's most exclusive streets, where homes have sold for an average of £15.1M (US$18.9M) in the past five years.[4]
- The family is offering two rewards: £500K (US$627K) for information leading to arrest and conviction, and 10% of recovered items' value for information leading to their retrieval.[7][8]
Sources: [1]The Guardian, [2]The Times, [3]The Telegraph, [4]Daily Mail, [5]CNN, [6]Metro, [7]The Standard and [8]The National.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by The Guardian and BBC News. This burglary, while unprecedentedly epic in nature, underscores a stark economic divide. In a city where wealth disparity is palpable, such high-value crimes reflect not just greed but also systemic failures regarding the haves — such as those who live in Primrose Hill — and the have-nots. When basic needs become unaffordable for many, the desperation can lead to crime, highlighting the urgent need for equitable economic policies.
- Right narrative, as provided by The Telegraph and Dave Hill On London. The entire culture of London has been destroyed by liberal policies, fueling a sharp rise in crime, particularly thefts. While a heist like this is irregular, the decriminalization of low-value thefts has normalized shoplifting, leading to a record number of robberies this year. With the vast majority of offenders going uncharged, coupled with the £200 shoplifting threshold and reduced police responses, average Londoners, not millionaires, make up most of the victims
