Three Men Jailed for £300k Jewel Heist After Drilling Hole Into Fleet Street Shop
Three Romanian nationals have been locked up for a brazen jewellery heist worth nearly £300,000. Florin-Cristin Neagu, 46, Sorin-Marian Munteanu, 44, and Nicolae Sisca, 46, tunnelled through walls and raided a high-end jewellers in Fleet Street over a tense weekend in March 2019.
Daring Burglary Uncovered by CCTV and Forensics
The trio carried out a “sophisticated and daring” burglary at a jewellers near Chancery Lane, breaking in through an adjoining wall after tunnelling overnight. Police pieced together their movements from CCTV, ANPR, and mobile phone data, showing days of meticulous planning and reconnaissance.
- Neagu, Munteanu, and Sisca were spotted lurking around the premises multiple times before the raid.
- They gained entry by reaching through letterboxes and disabling CCTV cameras with spray paint.
- The gang stayed inside for hours, with Neagu acting as lookout while the others ransacked the store.
£300k Loot and £16,000 Damage
The burglars stole jewellery worth £298,987.12, leaving behind £16,000 worth of damage. They failed to crack a safe but caused chaos inside. The raid triggered the shop’s alarm on Sunday afternoon, forcing a quick getaway.
Detectives later found a large hole in the wall of the adjacent bookmaker’s, the wrong entry point for the gang initially, before they drilled a second hole to reach the jewellers.
Fast Police Action Leads to Arrests and Sentences
Following the crime, Neagu fled the UK via Eurotunnel, while Munteanu and Sisca flew to Birmingham. Sisca was detained at the airport for unrelated charges, and DNA from him matched the crime scene. Police launched a European Arrest Warrant for Neagu and Munteanu, who were later arrested in Romania and extradited to the UK.
The court handed down stiff sentences:
- Neagu and Munteanu: 6 years each
- Sisca: 4 years and 6 months
Detective Praises Police Work, Victims Get Closure
“The defendants spent a considerable amount of time planning and organising this burglary. It has all the hallmarks of an established organised criminal network who are extremely confident and organised in this type of offence,” said Detective Constable Leisa Johnson.
She added, “Thanks to the scene being well preserved by the responding officers, we were able to carry out a number of successful enquiries to build a case. I’m pleased that the jury quickly reached a guilty verdict.”
The victims, devastated by the raid, can finally find some comfort in today’s convictions and sentences.
