LONDON — Nine men, including at least three in their seventies, have been arrested in connection with a multi-million dollar heist in London’s jewelry district, British police said Tuesday.
London's Metropolitan Police said the men — between the ages of 48 and 76 — were arrested when more than 200 officers raided 12 addresses in London and the nearby county of Kent.
"A number of large bags containing significant amounts of high value property have been recovered from one address," the force said in a statement. "Officers are confident these are items stolen during the burglary."
Commander Peter Spiller said that at times the force has "been portrayed as if we’ve acted like Keystone Cops" while investigating, but that "these detectives have done their utmost to bring justice for the victims of this callous crime."
Security camera footage of the April 3 robbery showed the burglars, disguised as construction workers, enter the building in the Hatton Garden diamond district through a side entrance. They climbed down an elevator shaft and used industrial tools to break through almost seven feet of reinforced concrete into the basement vault.
The audacious thieves made away with some 70 safety-deposit boxes. The contents of the haul have not been officially disclosed — but estimates in the British press have valued them as high as $200 million.
Police said Tuesday that the suspects were arrested for conspiracy to burgle and being questioned at a London police station.