The burglary took place around midnight on Good Friday at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit company (Picture from ITV report)
Police have arrested nine men in connection with a raid on jewellery deposit boxes in London’s Hatton Gardens last month.
The men, aged between 43 and 76, are all being questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to burgle.
The Metropolitan Police said a “significant amount of high value property” had been recovered following an operation at 12 addresses in London and Kent.
Four of the men – aged 48, 58, 67 and 74 – were arrested in Enfield.
Police detectives were described as “confident” that the items recovered during their searches were those that had been stolen in the burglary.
These are the tunnels the burglars are thought to have drilled underground
Detective Superintendent Craig Turner, head of the Flying Squad, urged victims of the crime to “stay patient”, and added: “Police officers will be in contact with them in order that we can restore this property back to its rightful owners.”
The force had been criticised after it emerged it had initially decided not to respond to a security firm’s intruder alert call when thieves broke into the facility after midnight on Friday 3 April.
Police commander Peter Spindler said: “On this occasion the systems and processes that we have in place with the alarm companies weren’t followed and as a result of that officers did not attend the premises when in fact they probably should have done and for that I want to apologise.”
The Metropolitan Police has also issued an appeal to the public for information about a white Ford Transit van that was seen in the area around the time of the raid.
Speaking on a Periscope broadcast, Mr Turner said: “I am making an appeal for information around a van that was seen in the area of Hatton Garden over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
“It was a white Transit van, index number DU53 VNG, which was caught on CCTV in and around Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd.”
He added that police had the footage for “quite a period of time”, but it had not been released for operational reasons.
The van has not been recovered, and the public is being asked if they know where it is, or if they saw it in the area on April 2.
Metropolitan Police Commander Peter Spindler
Commander Peter Spindler added on Tuesday: “The Metropolitan Police takes these types of crimes very seriously. At times we have been portrayed as if we’ve acted like ‘Keystone Cops’.
“But I want to reassure you that in the finest traditions of Scotland Yard these detectives have done their utmost to bring justice for the victims of this callous crime.
“They have worked tirelessly and relentlessly. They have put their lives on hold over the last six or seven weeks to make sure that justice is served and they have exemplified the finest attributes of Scotland Yard detectives.”
Anyone with information can call the inquiries team in 020 8785 8655, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
