Three men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit burglary after attempting to tunnel into a jewellery shop in south London. The incident came to light when police, searching a neighboring massage parlor, discovered a hole being dug through an adjoining wall into the jewellery store.
Bags of tools were found alongside the excavation. The Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad investigation linked the men to a series of commercial burglaries targeting jewellers across London between May and July. The estimated value of stolen goods from these incidents exceeds £700,000.
Authorities stated that the gang employed tunnelling techniques to gain access overnight, effectively bypassing security systems. Initial inquiries by Interpol have suggested potential connections to similar offences in Europe.
Detective Superintendent Dan Mitchell commented that the men had "dug their own hole" after being apprehended. He added that their arrests not only halted the immediate burglary attempt but also led to the uncovering of an organized crime group involved in a string of jewellery shop break-ins. The three men are scheduled to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on October 23.