Police are searching for a thief who stole more than £10 million ($12.5 million) worth of custom-made jewelery in northwest London in what is believed to be one of the biggest thefts from a British home.
London Metropolitan Police said an intruder targeted a house in the Avenue Road area, one of the most exclusive addresses in the British capital.
The burglar entered the property through a second-story window around 5 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) on Dec. 7 while the residents were not home, police said in a Monday news release.
“The thief made off with £150,000 worth of Hermes Crocodile Kelly bags, £15,000 cash and £10.4 million worth of custom-made jewellery,” police said.
Police said the suspect has been described as a “white male in his 20s or 30s” who had his face covered during the incident and was wearing a dark hoodie, cargo pants and a baseball cap.
Among the stolen items were a 10.73-carat diamond ring from Graff; two butterfly-shaped diamond rings from De Beers; a 3.03 carat diamond ring, an aquamarine ring and a Hermes necklace. An image shared by police also showed a bracelet with the name “Shafira.”
Also among the stolen items were diamond earrings from Chopard and several pieces of jewelry from the French luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels.
“This is a brazen crime, in which the suspect entered the property armed with an unknown weapon and violated the sanctuary of the victims’ home,” Detective Paulo Roberts, who is investigating the robbery, said in the statement.
“The suspect has stolen jewelery worth £10.4 million, much of which is sentimental and unique in its design and therefore easily identifiable,” he added.
Csaba Virag, the family’s chief of staff, told The Guardian that the theft appears to have been carried out by a “lone wolf,” but turning the stolen items into money could involve a wider network.
He also told the British newspaper that he was at home when the robbery occurred.
CNN has contacted Virag for comment.
