Thieves Stole $43 million of Diamond Jewelry in 3 Minutes

A London jury was shown 20 diamonds recovered following a daring three minute heist in which three robbers got away with £23 million ($43 million) of gems and jewelry from the exclusive Graff jewelers in up-market New Bond Street.

The court heard that the international gang of thieves flew to London after targeting the jeweler for the raid in May last year. Some members of the gang are still at large.

Nebojsa Denic, disguised in a wig, held up staff with a loaded gun while his partner in crime “Marco” grabbed the most expensive diamonds and jewelry.

These included rings, bracelets and other jewelry containing yellow diamonds. In total, 47 items of jewelry, some containing several stones, were stolen, including a bracelet with 21 stones weighing 73.47 carats.

Each Graff diamond was inscribed with an identification number not visible to the naked eye.

Denic was caught by security men outside the shop where he fired a shot that almost hit a woman passer-by, but Marco disappeared with the jewels.

Most of the jewelry has never been recovered, but police discovered 19 stones and a £500,000 ring featuring a 2.32 carat blue diamond.

Denic denies charges including conspiracy to rob, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and using a gun to resist arrest.

Police found a diamond ring in a jar of baby cream when they raided the home of a third gang member, Milan Jovetic.

The court heard that 18 of the recovered diamonds, some of which had been re-polished, turned up in New York four months after the hold-up. They were among a large consignment of gems sent from Israel for grading at the Gemological Institute of America.

The other recovered diamond was found in another batch from the same source.