UK police busts gang targeting London’s Indian community jewellery

London: Four members of an organised crime network which stole more than 1 million pounds worth of jewellery from London’s Indian and South Asian community have been jailed for a total of 17 years and one month.

The Metropolitan Police said the “comprehensive operation” led to the imprisonment of Jerry O’Donnell, 33, Barney Maloney and Quey Adger, 23, and Patrick Ward, 43, at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday.

All four had previously pleaded guilty to burglary, which “largely targeted the South Asian community throughout the capital”.

“This comprehensive operation enabled us to disrupt a key part of an organised crime network. As a result of the work conducted by specialist officers, a handful of serial criminals will now spend a substantial amount of time behind bars,” said Met Police Detective Sergeant Lee Davison, who led the force’s investigation.

“While the monetary value of this crime is staggering, its sentimental worth is priceless. I hope these men spend a lot of time reflecting on the impact their actions have had on the community,” he said.

Three of the four men were "caught red-handed" by the officers as a result of a one-year, intelligence-led operation that spanned London and surrounding counties. In July 2024, O’Donnell, Maloney, Adger were detained while carrying stolen jewellery – and were handed sentences of over five years each on Friday.

The Met Police revealed that CCTV enquiries identified their car as being involved in multiple burglaries and led to specialist officers acting quickly and pursuing the vehicle while on the move, leading to a forced stop. The trio were arrested after officers found hundreds of items inside, including a gold wedding ring, gold necklaces and a solid gold hair pin.

Ward was arrested separately at his home address shortly after and intelligence obtained during the investigation identified him as a member of the organised crime network with close links to the three men arrested previously. He was handed a sentence of two years and five months in court this week.

Over the course of the investigation, police officers also carried out a warrant at a jewellery shop in London’s Hatton Garden where they believed stolen gold was being melted down and sold. There they recovered 50,000 pounds in cash and eight kilos of jewellery. The jewellery included items such as a World War One officer’s Rolex, a gold locket containing old pictures, an engraved gold ring, and a gold pocket watch from Harlow Bros Ltd.

“While the most identifiable items were reunited with their rightful owners after dozens of people came forward following a media appeal in March, detectives are still looking to identify the owners of the remaining jewellery and urge anyone who may have been a victim to contact police,” the Met Police said in a statement.

The items were stolen between December 2023 and July 2024 from properties across south London, including Croydon, Sutton and Wandsworth – as well as counties including Surrey, Sussex and Essex.