The robbery, which took place at about 10:00am on Tuesday 19 September at the jewellery retailer’s Martin Place store, involved a man who allegedly swapped the loose diamond for a ‘fake’ stone before leaving on foot with the diamond.
Cerrone retail manager Alison Kotevski confirmed to Jeweller the suspect had visited the business on Monday 18 September before returning the following morning.
“Unfortunately the staff were distracted and he seized on the opportunity,” Kotevski said.
“It is certainly a reminder to all of us [in the industry] that we need to be very vigilant in our dealings with all clients.”
According to a NSW Police Force statement, the man was described as being of Asian appearance with a slim build and short black hair. He was wearing a grey jumper, dark-coloured pants, black Nike-branded sneakers and carrying a shoulder bag at the time of the robbery.
Police have released CCTV footage of the man at the store and are appealing for public assistance.
“Our security is very high in all our stores and we are grateful for the great footage we have of the person,” Kotevski added.
More Sydney crime
The incident follows the arrests of four men earlier this month in relation to an alleged international crime syndicate targeting jewellery ‘dealers’ and the International Jewellery Fair in August.
It also comes at a similar time of reports involving two robberies at jewellery stores located in a Sydney shopping centre.
According to NSW Police Force, the first robbery occurred when two masked men approached the front entrance of a shopping centre in the western Sydney suburb of St Marys on Tuesday 19 September at around 3:45am.
One of the offenders allegedly used a hammer to smash the shopping centre’s front doors and once inside, both men proceeded to break a jewellery store’s glass display window and steal jewellery before leaving on a motorcycle.
Two days later, two men, also with their faces covered, smashed the doors of the same shopping centre, before allegedly stealing jewellery from another store located inside. They were last seen exiting on a motorcycle.
Police from St Marys local area command are investigating both incidents and have released CCTV images of two men who may be able to assist with inquiries.
Investigations for all three robberies were ongoing at the time of publication.
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