In 2022, during the 35th edition of TEFAF Maastricht, the world's most important art fair, a terrifying incident occurred at the stand of Symbolic & Chase, a London-based jewellery and art gallery. While the booth's exhibition was still operating, the display cases were smashed with a sledgehammer. Four thieves stole jewellery worth tens of millions of dollars, including a 114-carat yellow diamond and a very valuable necklace.
See also: An Art Heist at TEFAF: But the Show Must Go On
The Dutch police put together a 20-person search team that began an international investigation under the direction of Europol. The case was also presented in the Dutch crime show Opsporing NL in July 2022, which resulted in some concrete leads. This, as well as the analysis of the footage from the fair and witness statements, led officers to the trail of a professional group of criminals from the Balkans in March 2023. At the time, one of the stolen pieces of jewellery was secured.
See also: A New Lead in the TEFAF Jewellery Heist
Now, two diamonds from one of the stolen necklaces have resurfaced in Israel and Hong Kong. In addition, the group of suspects has been expanded to include three female individuals who were directly or indirectly involved in the crime.
Before and after the robbery, the suspects used vehicles rented in Germany to commit traffic violations in Neustadt and Leverkusen in June 2022, which were documented photographically.
The location of the suspects has now been narrowed down to the Serbian city of Niš, although it cannot be ruled out that they are currently in Belgrade, as the Dutch police stated in a press release. Investigators are still asking for information on the whereabouts and identity of the suspects.
