BIG LONDON ROBBERY FOILED BY POLICE

Grey River Argus, 14 August 1948, Page 8

BIG LONDON ROBBERY FOILED BY POLICE

LONDON, August 12 The members of a Scotland Yard flying squad posed as warehouse officials and foiled an attempted robbery of a bonded warehouse at London airport on the night of July 28. This was related in the Police Court when nine men, handcuffed, appeared on charges oi stealing keys belonging to the warehouse staff. The prosecutor said 15 policemen, acting on advance information, stationed themselves round the warehouse at midnight. 1 Two posed a. loaders and another ?..s a security officer with keys to the safe in his pocket They lay down and appeared to be drugged as a lorry pmled up outside Masked men tied up the three police officers and strucK the man with the keys on the back of the head. As the masked men altemptec to open the safe, police officers ap peared from hiding. The men usee, iron bars, wire-cutters and bludgeon, in the enusing fight. A number of police officers and accused men were injured in the fight. One man hobbled into the dock with a broken ankle. The warehouse held diamonds worth £139,000 and £224,580 of other merchandise. A plane carrying £250,000 of gold bullion was expected on the day of the robbery, but was delayed. The prosecutor said it was “an extremely well-organised attempt at robbery of great magnitude.” The hearing was adjourned until August 17. The accused remained in cuostody. ■