Crooks are being hunted after swiping $100 million (£83 million) of uncommon gems in an audacious 27-minute theft being hailed as one of many largest jewelry heists in historical past.
Police imagine a gang of burglars tracked a van loaded with cargo owned by ‘mother and pop operators’ from a jewelry present in northern California to a Los Angeles space truck cease, earlier than they raided the car within the early hours.
Our map exhibits how thieves struck the armoured Brink’s car round 2am on July 11 at a Flying J truck cease alongside Interstate 5 close to Grapevine – taking solely 27 minutes to get away with their colossal haul.
Worldwide Gem and Jewellery Present president Arnold Duke mentioned the van was loaded with 70 to 100-pound storage containers housing gems and jewels.
It’s estimated the mob acquired away with as much as 30 baggage containing an unknown variety of particular person items, leaving a string of unbiased jewellers in dismay because it has left their ‘complete livelihoods’ worn out.
Mr Duke added: ‘We're taking a look at greater than $100 million in documented losses.
‘This was a completely enormous crime. One of many largest jewelry heists ever. We're speaking gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and a great deal of luxurious watches.
‘There have been 15 exhibitors every with $5 to $10 million (£4 million to £8.3 million) in merchandise.
‘These are small companies with their complete wealth vested in that truck. It has destroyed them financially and it affected their well being in some instances.’
Brandy Swanson, director of the jewel exhibition, mentioned the products had been stolen from ‘mom-and-pop operators’ who've been left ‘devastated’.
The burglars managed to bypass the Brink’s van’s locking mechanism undetected and loaded the gems into storage containers earlier than hauling them away, legislation enforcement sources allege.
Authorities advised The Los Angeles Occasions that two armed guards left the car on the truck cease within the early hours of July 11.
The group of thieves then broke into the truck, entered its tractor-trailer and began unloading containers holding jewelry, gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and stashes of luxurious designer watches together with Rolexes.
Their heist is being in comparison with the Hatton Backyard theft in London and the Antwerp, Belgium, break-in that took months of planning.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Main Crimes Bureau sergeant Michael Mileski refused to explain the locking mechanism however admitted it will ‘not be exceedingly troublesome to crack’.
Investigators imagine a number of thieves ‘needed to be concerned’, with 18 victims struggling losses and FBI agent and main crimes investigators now trying to find clues.
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