Police warning after spate of Asian gold thefts

Police have urged Asian communities to remain vigilant after a spate of burglaries targeting family gold.

There have been 19 incidents in the Eastleigh area this year, Hampshire police said.

One victim told the BBC she was woken up by two men in her bedroom, “going through my wardrobe.” She said £20,000 worth of gold jewelery was stolen.

Ch Insp Matt Paling, Eastleigh District Commander, said the burglaries were “a very organized crime”.

The 22 or 24 carat gold is often bought as gifts in Asian families, and passed down through generations, holding significant sentimental value.

Last month, Ch Insp Paling visited Southampton’s Vedic Society Hindu Temple to offer people support and advice.

He told the BBC: “We have seen an increase in high-value gold theft, I want to reassure the community we are doing everything we can and to remain vigilant.

“We need to reduce this crime. I don’t want people to become victims of this, I want them to listen to our crime prevention advice.”

Preeti Nayyar was burgled on 15 March in Chilworth, Hampshire. She told the BBC she believes four men were involved, smashing her conservatory door to gain entry, before going upstairs and into her bedroom where she was sleeping.

Mrs Nayyar said: “I was in a deep sleep, when I opened my eyes and saw two burglars going through my wardrobe. I screamed and they ran down the stairs.”

She said the burglars stole about £20,000 worth of gold. Two of them were captured on home CCTV running down the stairs and out of the house.

Mrs Nayyar said: “I think they were very prepared. I feel they had an eye on the house. I think those targeting Asian households definitely do their homework. They didn’t take any other valuables, they were after the gold.”

Since the burglary, she said she had taken her remaining gold jewelery back to her mum in India, saying she felt it would be “safer in India than in the UK”.

Ch Insp Paling said of the recent cases in his area: “This is a very organized crime. If you think of the yield that they are going for – gold has gone up quite considerably.”

He said criminals were able to sell it on through various methods, melting it down “to make it unidentifiable” using devices bought online.

The BBC has submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request about Asian gold thefts to six police forces in the south of England: Dorset Police, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, Surrey Police, Sussex Police, Thames Valley Police and Wiltshire Police.

Dorset Police stated there were eight burglaries between January and March this year, totaling almost £90,000 worth of stolen gold. In 2023, there were 13, totaling more than £330,000 in stolen gold.

Surrey Police reported there had been 23 incidents of gold burglaries so far this year (January to April), with a total of more than £110,000 worth of gold taken. Last year the force attended 36 incidents, involving a total of around £25,000 worth of stolen gold.

The other forces refused to respond to the FOI on the grounds of cost.

While it did not provide figures, Hampshire police said it was warning residents to be careful with valuables, including keeping gold in a safe location, such as a bank or safety deposit box, and installing CCTV cameras at home.

Kavya Jagiasi’s home in Poole, Dorset, was broken into last year, with burglars stealing about £3,000 worth of gold and some cash.

She said: “I was not expecting this in this country. I was shocked at how easily they entered my house. We still don’t feel safe, we always check our security cameras and don’t always sleep well.”

Neeraj Shah, from Camberley, Surrey, said he was targeted a few years ago, when burglars stole about £7,000 worth of gold.

Mr Shah said he had since set up a neighborhood watch scheme to protect his local community.

“We are all very vigilant,” he said. “We text each other if we see any suspicious activity, like cold-callers or any cars parked here – we take down registration numbers. I believe it is deterring crime.”

Mr Singh [who did not want to give his first name]said nearly £10,000 in gold was stolen from his home in Reading, Berkshire, in April.

He said they were not at home when “the burglars smashed through the patio door.”

“We had CCTV at the front of the house, not the back. They have taken up to £10,000 worth of gold. They didn’t take other valuables like laptops – 100% they were after gold,” he said.

“I’m still in shock that this happened. My wife didn’t sleep in the house for a few days. They took my wife’s jewelry, we were trying to save it for our daughter.”