South American gangs fuel surge in jewellery store raids
In 2025, there were 22 robberies of jewellers across the UK; in January alone, however, there were 10 attacks on stores, half of which were in London.
Gangs from South America and Europe are fuelling a surge in attacks on jewellers across the UK, LBC has learned.
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It is understood organised criminal networks are increasingly targeting stores in smash-and-grab raids to capitalise on the soaring price in gold and silver.
Sarah Staff, who runs SaferGems, an intelligence-sharing and security initiative supporting jewellers, told LBC that gangsters are striking with “military precision” before fleeing the UK within days of their raids.
Over £2m worth of necklaces, chains and watches have been snatched from retailers in the first six weeks of this year.
“South American gangs are very, very proficient,” the staff explained. “They will already have their route to go back to America or to Europe to dispose of those items very quickly.
“Sometimes they’re in-and-out of the UK within 48 hours.”
There’s been a sharp increase in cases since the start of the year.
In 2025, there were 22 robberies of jewellers across the UK. In January alone, however, there were 10 attacks on stores, half of which were in London.
On top of this, six burglaries and 13 thefts were carried out in just the first four weeks of the year.
It marks the most prolific series of robberies of any month this decade.
Most prominently, on January 31, the jewellers Gregory and Co in Richmond was targeted in broad daylight by a pair of masked men wielding a sledgehammer. Police are yet to make any arrests in connection with the incident.
“We have seen a significant increase in crimes linked to gold,” Staff, an ex-detective in the Metropolitan Police’s flying squad, continued.
“All precious metals have gone up significantly in price but, in particular, gold is a very attractive commodity. It’s very easy to sell [and] it’s easy to melt down, hiding its origin and any unique marks on it.
“A combination of that, in addition to high prices and global demand, is making this very attractive for criminal gangs… [they] use it in the criminal market for buying other commodities, using the gold rather than cash.”
Although staff stressed that these crimes have been historically rare, there is clear apprehension across the industry.
Home office minister Mike Tapp told LBC that the Home Office is taking the issue "extremely seriously" and working closely with the National Crime Agency to break up such criminal networks, arresting and deporting their members.
Many jewellers contacted by LBC declined to speak, fearing it would bring their stores to the attention of violent thieves.
Chris, who runs a jewellers close to Gregory and Co in Richmond, spoke to us on the condition that we did not name his shop. His business has been targeted three times in recent years.
"[It's terrifying] as it's going on, because you just don't know how it's going to escalate. But there's nothing you can do about it," he said despondently.
"We have a double glass system, so very secure glass. And obviously I don't want to name what we've got, but we've got other things in place that will deter and probably stop people from doing it."
It concerns like Chris’s that the SaferGems initiative seeks to address.
Working with the National Association of Jewellers and insurers TH March, it supports around 4,500 jewellers, pawn brokers and antiques dealers by sharing CCTV with authorities, who can identify when known gang members return to the UK for another raid.
Staff also dedicates a significant amount of her time raising awareness of the tactics deployed by gangs, including ambushes that take place when items are being transferred between stores.
“Everybody has a role in how [gangs] commit the crime. Somebody will be a lookout, a driver, somebody to do the distraction while the other is stealing the bag.
“And they can do it in all sorts of different ways. Putting paint on the back of somebody's jacket, going up and saying ‘you've got a mark on your jacket, let me help you’ to placing a spike on the tyre of a car. So as the trader is moving from A to B, there'll be a puncture. They'll then turn up ‘oh, let me help you repair your tyre’, and whilst that's happening, somebody else is slipping around the other side of the vehicle, opening the door and stealing the briefcase or parcel.
“They are very efficient at doing that. They're very good at wearing disguises and using, you know, walkie-talkies and WhatsApp and things to communicate with each other, which makes it very difficult for the police to pursue them.
Last week, three men were jailed for a total of 51 years following a Met Police investigation into a £1.1 million robbery of a luxury watch shop in Richmond.
Superintendent Craig Knight, leading neighbourhood policing in Richmond, added: “Officers are working at pace to identify and locate the men who carried out this robbery.
“We realise incidents of this nature can have a real impact on the local community, especially businesses and those who live in the area.
“Please be reassured that we will be relentless in bringing these people to justice and are pursuing several lines of inquiry.”
LBC has contacted the Met Police for comment.