Surveillance video from the Fifth Avenue store shows a “well-dressed” suspect entering the building and asking to look at a necklace. A staff member proceeds to take out two necklaces and places them on a display case. Seconds later, the thief grabs the jewellery pieces and walks briskly past a security guard and out of the store.
The stolen items are said to include a 30-inch diamond necklace valued at US$68,000 (A$71,000) and a 15-inch diamond necklace valued at US$30,000 (A$31,300).
Police are currently searching for the suspect.
The incident, which took place at about 3pm on Thursday 7 June, adds to a growing list of brazen robberies to occur this year. It also coincides with new research by electronic security company, ADT Security, which found one-in-five small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) in Australia lost more than 10 per cent of their annual profit in 2012 to theft.
Furthermore, the Small Business Crime study – which surveyed more than 500 SMBs and 500 SMBs’ employees – reported 25 per cent of SMBs noticed a rise in crime in 2012 compared to the previous year.
Burglary was the most prevalent type of crime, with 55 per cent of SMBs reported to have been robbed, employee theft of merchandise followed with 27 per cent, shoplifting 26 per cent, vandalism 25 per cent, and 22 per cent of respondents reported to have staff stealing cash. Fraud was encountered by 16 per cent of SMBs.
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