JEWELLERY STEALS
Major Harry Winston Robbery
Location: Paris, France
Haul: $108 million
Status: At Large
One of the most brazen robberies in recent history was in December 2008 when four men stormed one of Paris’s most exclusive jewellery stores, Harry Winston. Disguised as women and armed with a .357 Magnum and hand grenades, the men entered the store at closing, smashing display cases and snatching a suitcase full of diamonds. Still at large, the police suspect the thieves are part of the Yugoslavian crime gang, the “Pink Panthers.” This criminal syndicate was also involved in jewellery robberies in Paris of $1.3 million in 2004 and $22 million in 2007.
Brazen Raid of Graff in London
Location: London, England
Haul: $63 million
Status: Caught
In August 2009, a group of four armed robbers raided Graff Diamonds in London taking 43 pieces valued at 40 million pounds, Britain’s biggest jewellery heist. In June of this year, Aman Kassaye was found guilty of kidnapping, conspiracy to rob and possessing a firearm after he forced a shop assistant to steal valuables during this raid. His three accomplices have already been sentenced. Graff London was also targeted in 2003 by reputed "Pink Panthers" in what was then the country’s most expensive jewellery heist at 23 million pounds, about $40 million.
PLAY IT SAFE
In 2009, the total dollar losses from crimes against jewellery firms in the U.S. declined nearly 6 percent, from $103.5 million in 2008 to $97.7 million last year, while the number of crimes increased 3.5 percent from 1,505 to 1,557, according to JSA.
Among the most significant trends was a nearly 27 percent drop in off-premises attacks, primarily against travelling salespersons, from 187 in 2008 to 137 in 2009. John Kennedy, JSA president, cites two major reasons for the decline – greater enforcement by local police and the FBI, and a significant decrease in salespersons on the road due to the economy. But the number of on-premises robberies, primarily of retail jewellers, increased by more than 14 percent.
Nearly $73 million were lost in 2009 because of on-premises crimes, JSA reports, up from nearly $61 million in 2008. Moreover, incidents of theft, burglary and robbery are up in 2009 over 2008, at 1,420 in total compared to 1,318, with theft crimes encompassing 60 percent, burglary nearly 25 percent, and robbery over 17 percent.
Within each crime category, JSA cites 42 percent of thefts as "grab-and-runs", with sneak and distraction crimes at 25 percent. More than 65 percent of burglaries are three-minute jobs committed late at night by breaking in a glass front door or window. Nearly three-quarters of robberies are carried out with a gun, typically between 11 a.m. and noon and 5 and 6 p.m., with Tuesdays and Wednesdays the most active weekdays; Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and San Francisco the most active cities; and California, Texas, Florida and New York the most active states.
From a European perspective, IJS director Martin Winckel shares statistics about jewellery crimes in Germany, noting that the numbers are similar to the other countries in Europe. In 2009, there were 226 reported burglaries. Reported thefts totalled 139, with the majority classified as shoplifting, and nearly a quarter each "grab-and-run" and showcase thefts.
“Percent differences are possible between the countries, but will be small because nearly all crimes against the business are the same, even the criminals/crime gangs are the same,” Winckel explains. “There are practically no borders in Europe anymore, so the bad guys travel faster between the countries than the police can do their paperwork.”
Developed in the early 1970s in Hagen, Germany, as a local service, with support from the federal alliance of gold- and silversmiths in North Rhine-Westphalia, IJS has grown into a crime prevention network with members from every sector of the trade spanning beyond Germany to other European countries.
IJS researches criminal offenses and generates information for police agencies, members, victims and support partners. Information is collected and analysed against IJS’s crime database, recorded and posted online. The network also advises on security tactics and risk management, providing a best practices manual for jewellery and watch firms.