French Mastermind Busted After Dumb Diamond Heist in London
Lulu Lakatos, 60, from Saint Brieuc, France, was locked up for five and a half years on Wednesday, 28 July. She was found guilty of conspiring to steal seven sparkling gems from the swanky Boodles store on New Bond Street back in March 2016.
High-Class Heist: Pebbles for Priceless Diamonds
Lakatos wasn’t acting alone. She was part of a slick international gang that spent weeks plotting the jewel raid. The gang fooled Boodles by posing as wealthy Russian buyers, with Lakatos playing the role of “Anna,” a gemmologist meant to inspect the stones.
The day before the theft, Lakatos arrived in London and checked into a hotel in Cricklewood with another woman. That evening, she met two men to scope out the Boodles shop. The next day, dressed as the expert “Anna,” she convinced staff she barely spoke English and carried out the daring switch.
Clever Switch and Fast Getaway
- Seven real diamonds were taken out for inspection but replaced with identical padlocked bags.
- Using the language barrier as cover, Lakatos swapped the bag containing gems with one holding seven harmless pebbles.
- Despite staff’s suspicion, the switch went unnoticed at the moment.
- She left the store, passed the fake bag to an accomplice on the street, then dashed off.
- In less than three hours, she changed clothes in a pub and escaped on the Eurostar, back to France.
Police Snare Mastermind After Years of Investigation
It wasn’t until Boodles got suspicious and X-rayed the bag that they found the fake pebbles. The Met’s Flying Squad launched a full-scale probe, analysing CCTV hours and forensic clues. Lakatos was finally arrested in France and extradited to the UK in December 2020.
“This was an audacious theft, carried out in plain view of experienced and professional staff,” said Acting Detective Sergeant William Man. “The meticulous planning shows these were highly skilled criminals. Thanks to relentless police work, we’ve caught Lakatos and are still hunting the rest of the gang.”
Two men involved have already been convicted. Investigations continue into the two unidentified women also seen during the crime. Meanwhile, another woman who entered the UK with Lakatos was found not guilty.
