Sunday Mirror Investigates: SHOPPED

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Apr 21, 2002 | by GRAHAM JOHNSON Investigations Editor

LONDON'S famous Hatton Garden jewellery district is the centre of an extensive street crime racket.

Muggers and gangsters from all over Britain are using some of its exclusive shops to pass on their ill-gotten gains - many of which have been stolen to order.

In just one afternoon, the Sunday Mirror discovered three jewellery dealers who knowingly take expensive stolen goods.

And two of them made it obvious they furnish muggers and thieves with high-class "shopping lists".

Our revelations come after a string of high-profile "Rolex robberies" in which the expensive watches and other jewellery have been snatched from celebrities.

Those targeted include former Tory MP Steve Norris, former Page Three girl Jilly Johnson, model Caprice, and actress Britt Ekland.

In March, two armed robbers were given eight life sentences for murdering the wife of a millionaire at her Hertfordshire home while stealing her pounds 13,000 Rolex.

Premier Tony Blair last week said he is taking personal command of a tough new crackdown on crime and Chancellor Gordon Brown pledged an extra pounds 280 million for the blitz in Wednesday's budget.

But in Hatton Garden the politicians' words counted for nothing. We found the stolen jewellery trade being openly carried on.

Middlemen were standing outside some jewellery shops and, for a cut of the profits, offering to take criminals to the outlets paying the best prices for specific items.

Our investigators, posing as muggers from Scotland and Liverpool, had no problem trying to sell on four "stolen" watches - an engraved Rolex, a Cartier, a Tag Hauer and a Swatch - in the shops visited.

Our first encounter was with one of the middlemen - a Yardie from Jamaica called Pierce who admitted being a crack cocaine-smoking mugger.

He claimed he specialises in car-jackings and in robbing wealthy commuters outside West London tube stations and King's Cross railway station.

He told our investigators he was in Hatton Garden to sell his stolen wares and advise other muggers which shops were paying the best prices that day.

Asked where we should take our haul, he said: "It depends what you've got. The boy (middleman) knows which man (jeweller) wants to buy watches and which silver.

"Each (shop) does different - antique, diamonds, gold, rings, the spread (the full range). Some will only buy names (branded jewellery such as Gucci or Cartier)."

The first jewellery shop visited by our undercover reporters was Goulding and Bird Ltd which occupies a prestigious site in Hatton Garden.

As we walked in, owners John Goulding and 68-year- old Henry Bird were deep in conversation with a Yardie known as Frank The Fence.

We offered to sell our four watches to Bird. As he inspected them, Frank's eyes lit up and he said: "How much do you want for them? If these guys (Goulding and Bird) don't buy them I will." Bird and Goulding ushered Frank outside of the shop. Bird said: "Watch him (Frank). He's dodgy. We'll pay better prices."

Goulding and Bird hesitated over buying our watches, but gave our investigators a shopping list of stolen valuables they would buy.

INVESTIGATOR: I'll be honest, they're (the watches) robbed. They're from Liverpool.

GOULDING: We don't really do watches. Can you get jewellery? We're interested in jewellery. We like big diamond rings. Do you get nice stones? Silverware?

INVESTIGATOR: It's all robbed gear. It's all robbed off the street. But it's not from round here.

GOULDING: I'll buy all the jewellery you've got. Gold. diamonds silverware. Tea sets and coffee sets.The only thing I don't buy is stuff nicked from churches.

INVESTIGATOR: I don't want you phoning me back. This one (the Rolex) is engraved. If you try and sell it again it might come on top (easily proved to be stolen.)

GOULDING: We'd put a bit of rub on the back (remove the engraving).

BIRD: We're not stupid. With a Rolex, we're only going to sell it to someone who knows it's nicked.

As we left the shop Frank The Fence approached us and said: "I don't care if it's stolen, mugged or whatever.

"I'll buy anything. I'll take you to a jeweller who specialises in watches. You'll get more." He boasted of his long spells in prison and his connections to violent gangsters in Liverpool and London. Frank took our men to a high street jewellers who offered pounds 1,300 for the four watches. During the negotiations in the shop, Frank went into a backroom where the owner smiled as he inspected the watches with an eye-glass.

Frank then returned with a note pad to do the arithmetic in full view of legitimate customers who were trying on watches and looking at jewellery in the display cases.

We turned down the offer and left. Following another tip-off, our investigators visited Chic II jewellers, which has a respectable front making it a favourite of celebrities and sports personalities.

The burly dealer behind the counter offered pounds 1,000 cash for all four of our "stolen" watches - and said he would throw in a lump of cannabis as a bonus.

Looking from side to side, the man - real name Eddie Ramsey, but who calls himself "E" - said: "Hope you weren't followed here." Ramsey said he regularly bought stolen watches and jewellery from muggers.