Jewel Robbers Foiled

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30934, 15 December 1965, Page 9

Jewel Robbers Foiled

(N.Z.P.A. -neuter—Copyright)

LONDON, Dec. 13. Jewel gangsters struck in London today for the third time in as many days. But for once the gem gangs, who have netted £1,000,000 worth of loot in the last two months, were foiled. A gang of five men, wearing dark glasses and wielding iron bars, ambusbed messengers as they arrived at Gold-

smith’s Hall in the city with sacks of jewellery for Government stamping. But the messengers fought back, and as the gangsters jumped into a getaway car a messenger smashed one of its windows. The car skidded up a pavement as it took a corner, careered to the opposite side of the road, and smashed into a wall. The gangsters jumped out, dropping packets as they fled. A spokesman for Goldsmith’s Hall, where partly finished jewellery is vetted by inspectors for its gold and silver content, said: “We believe all the packets have been recovered.’’ Big Thefts

At Scotland Yard today police chiefs wwe holding a top level conference to draw up plans to combat the wave of big-scale jewel thefts from shops and houses. Robbers in a “riflfii” type raid, cut through a ceiling on Saturday night to rob a West End silversmith's of £50,000 worth of antiques. They neutralised the alarm system and calmly loaded the goods into a van while nightclub patrons and theatregoers walked past on their way home. Earlier on Saturday two men and a blonde woman accomplice, posing as custom-

era, walked into a Mayfair jewellers as it opened, held up the proprietors at gun point, handcuffed them, and walked off with £90,000 worth of gems from a safe which had just been opened. Crown Jewels Safe The newspaper the “Sim.” commented today: “The Crown Jewels have not yet been stolen from the Tower. But it is hard to say where else gems and valuables are safe in Britain today.” “The Times” said: “The many highly lucrative robberies of jewellery and plate in recent weeks must leave the public convinced that organised crime is gaining the upper hand.”