Sunday Mirror Investigates: SHOPPED

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.

When our investigator said it had taken 15 minutes to subdue a victim to steal a Rolex he laughed and said: "I'll f**king buy. I'll buy any f**king thing."

He boasted that he was friends with Britain's biggest drug dealer Curtis Warren, now serving a 12-year sentence in Holland for an pounds 80million cocaine deal.

The conversation went:

INVESTIGATOR: I'll be honest with you. They are robbed. They are mugged.

RAMSEY: Yeah. Yeah.

INVESTIGATOR: Off the smack heads and the crack heads and all that. Have to bash people.

RAMSEY: I'll give you a grand for all three.

INVESTIGATOR: Come on, it took me 15 minutes to get it off the victim.

RAMSEY: (Laughs loudly) And I'll give you a draw (cannabis) and all.

Ramsey then gave our investigator a wish list of jewellery he wanted stolen. He said: "Get big parcels of tom (jewellery) and all that.

"Gucci is a waste of time. But Cartier love bangles are good. All you do is just give me a ring. In terms of Rolex watches, when they are nicked very few people buy them. I'll f**king buy. I'll buy any f**king thing.

"But it's better to go and get diamond and good top end gear. If you start bringing down gold it is just scrap. Unless it's old. I don't f**k people over. Some people down here will murder you."

And he added: "I don't really speak over the phone. But if you tell me what time you are coming then I will put the kettle on."

While we were there several people approached the store offering to sell watches and jewellery. An assistant called Mark chatted about the celebrities who had in bought jewellery in the store. None of them were aware of the shop's illegal activities.

Pointing to a signed postcard of S Club 7 singer Rachel Stevens, he said: "Her mum was here and she bought a diamond bracelet. Then Rachel came down and bought a few things."

The walls are lined with other signed pictures of music and sports stars including world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis and singer Craig David. The card from David says: 'To all at Chic II - thanks."

When our investigators turned down the offer for the four watches at Chic II a young assistant said: "Go two doors down, tell him Jason sent you and he will sort you out."

The shop turned out to be the London HQ of Danesh International Consultants.

There, a smartly dressed man called Mohammed offered pounds 800 cash for the Rolex and said he would buy other similar items.

INVESTIGATOR: There's another 12 Rolexes, ones with diamonds.

MOHAMMED: I'll maybe give you pounds 800 cash. But I want the other ones.

INVESTIGATOR: So you'll give me pounds 800 cash for this Rolex here.

MOHAMMED: Yeah.

INVESTIGATOR: They're from Scotland. They're nicked but there is nothing to worry about is there.

MOHAMMED: Yeah Yeah.

He then ushered our investigator through a side entrance into the street.

When the Sunday Mirror confronted Goulding and Bird about our investigation, John Goulding said: "I'm very pleased to hear it." He then put the phone down.

Eddie Ramsey, of Chic II, said: "You can expose whatever you like. You have made some serious allegations that are totally untrue."

The owners or employees at Danesh International Consultants could not be contacted. Shortly after our investigators had visited their shop, armed robbers smashed the window and tried to steal the contents of a display case.

The Hatton Garden Association of jewellers will meet on Tuesday to discuss hiring more private security to patrol the area. A member said: "The findings in your article are worrying.

"These people damage the reputation of the area and are bad for trade."

Copyright 2002 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.