Huge Auckland jewel theft

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 4

Huge Auckland jewel theft

PA Auckland The $llO,OOO haul from an Auckland inner-city jewellery store might be Austra-lia-bound, where the pieces would not be so easily recognised, or they might be melted down in New Zealand, the police and one of the owners said yesterday. Fingers Jewellers, in Lome Street, has no burglar alarm, and it proved easy game for the thieves. One of the owners, Mr Michael Guy, said yesterday that he thought a burglar alarm was not necessary — that the iron grille, locks, and reinforced glass door would be enough to protect

the store. But during the night the thieves climbed over the iron grille at the entrance, and kicked a hole through the reinforced glass. They worked systematically, forcing cabinets and finding keys to unlock the rest as they stripped the shop of 700 to 800 gold and silver rings, chains, bracelets, pendants, bone, and ivory pieces. Detectives said that they were inside for less than one hour ransacking cabinets and collecting their haul in a rubbish bag they had emptied on the store floor. They lit their way around

the shop with matches, and missed only one drawer containing cheaper-quality items. The store, which is owned by six manufacturing jewellers displaying their works and others from exhibitors, was insured for between only $lO,OOO to $20,000. Detective Sergeant B. J. Metcalf said yesterday that it was obvious the job had been done by professional jewel thieves. They had to know something about the shop as the contents could not be seen from the street window, Police photographs of known offenders were yes-

I terday being shown to the ■ store owners in the hope of ' trying to match them with visitors to the exhibition at I Fingers in the last three - weeks. > Details of the raid were , immediately sent to the Aus- ' tralian police, after the recent recovery of items stolen . from a Parnell jewellery t store in Sydney. I Mr Guy said that stocktakI ing would disclose the exact > worth of the jewellery and s the insurance cover. I According to the owners t there was little), chance the stolen jewellery would be S' sold in New Zealand, because - of its unusual design.