'Like a cat': CCTV footage shows how thief carried out one of Britain's biggest burglaries

A surveillance video shows a masked thief swiftly and efficiently stealing $21 million worth of jewelry from a mansion in London's billionaire's row before fleeing the scene. The footage, first released by the BBC, shows the thief stuffing numerous bespoke pieces of jewelry into a backpack.

The mansion in St. John's Wood and the owner of the stolen jewelry is Hong Kong socialite, Saphira Huang. Photos of her wearing one of the stolen necklaces have also circulated on social media. The audacious theft occurred on December 7th and took only 19 minutes to complete.

Csaba Virag, a family spokesperson for Huang, said the thief moved with "cat-like" agility and narrowly avoided encountering a maid. Surveillance footage shows the thief and the maid walking down the same corridor just seconds apart. Virag, who was in a meeting in the basement at the time, recalled hearing a bang but thought it was caused by strong winds. He later stated, "Looking back, I put two and two together, but at the time, I didn't think anything of it."

In addition to the $21 million in jewelry, a $300,000 Hermès crocodile Kelly bag and $30,000 in cash were also stolen. The stolen jewelry included a Graff 10.73-carat diamond ring, two De Beers butterfly diamond rings, an Hermès 3.03-carat ring, an aquamarine ring, and a "Light of the Nile" necklace. Among them, a unique platinum Van Cleef & Arpels necklace made in 1978 stands out.

Police are actively investigating the case and are appealing to the public for information. The family has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect, plus an additional 10% of the value of any recovered items. Detective Constable Paul Roberts stated that many of the stolen items are very distinctive and easily identifiable. He emphasized that this was a brazen crime and urged anyone who saw anything suspicious in the vicinity of the crime scene or has relevant information to contact the police or report anonymously.