It is becoming increasingly dangerous for retailers to take jewellery out of their display cases
$50,000 jewellery heist in shopping centre
2.5 k views | Posted November 10, 2010 |
By Sonia Nair
Victorian Diamond Traders in Highpoint Shopping Centre, Melbourne was the site of the robbery of two rings worth up to $50,000.
On November 9, an unidentified man entered the store between 4pm and 5pm on four separate occasions enquiring about rings.,
On the fourth occasion, the man asked an assistant to show him two rings – a two-carat diamond and gold ring valued at a $35,000 and a sterling silver ring with a 0.7-carat diamond valued at $15,000.
Once the rings were out of the display cases, the man promptly grabbed them and fled the jewellery store.
Victorian Diamond Traders owner Mariella Cricco has operated her business at Highpoint for four years but has never been at the receiving end of such a serious robbery.
“I have never experienced anything of this magnitude. We’ve had three snatch and run cases but they were only chains and bracelets, nothing like this,” Cricco said.
Although she was not in the store at the time of the robbery, two female sales assistants were in the store at the time.
“I don’t think it could have been prevented, my staff did all they could,” Cricco said.
She highlighted how it was common practice for prospective buyers to come in more than once if they were buying expensive items and conceded that the risks were part of working in the jewellery industry.
Cricco said her store has a CCTV installation and she hopes the footage will help police apprehend the robber.
She commended the prompt responses by the police and internal security who arrived seconds after the staff had set off the alarm.
The robber was described as being a male Caucasian, in his early 30s and approximately 178cm tall. He was wearing a green cap and a grey jacket at the time of the robbery.
Police are still seeking witnesses to assist them with their enquiries.
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