Celeb burglaries suspect ‘behind £26m Mission Impossible raids on Tamara Ecclestone & Frank Lampard’s homes’ is arrested
A SUSPECT wanted over the £25 million raid of Tamara Ecclestone’s home was arrested in Serbia this morning.
The man was held in Belgrade with five other men on suspicion of being involved in an international money laundering operation.
His arrest could be a major breakthrough with the man, aged in his 50s, to face trial over a series of raids on high profile targets in London.
Serbian authorities have previously refused repeated requests by the Met to extradite the man.
Flying Squad detectives believe the man played a major role in a series of burglaries on the luxury homes of wealthy celebrities in December 2019 carried out by a "Mission Impossible" international gang of villains who flew in from Europe.
They included the record-breaking jewellery heist at F1 heiress Tamara’s £70million home in Kensington, West London, while she was away in Lapland with husband Jay Rutland and their two daughters.
The raiders also hit the homes of England and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard and the late Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Italian nationals Jugoslav Jovanovic, 24, Alessandro Maltese, 45, and Alessandro Donati, 44, admitted conspiracy to burgle at Isleworth crown court in November 2021.
They were given jail sentences totalling 28 years over the audacious burglaries but only a tiny fraction of the £26m worth of stolen items was ever recovered.
Sweeney detectives have doggedly continued to try and pursue the trail of the diamonds, gems and watches taken in the raids.
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This morning’s arrests were supported by Met detectives and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
The Met confirmed in a statement: “Six people have been arrested in Serbia as part of an international money laundering investigation involving Met officers.
“One of the men was wanted by detectives investigating a series of high value burglaries committed in Kensington and Chelsea in December 2019.
“The men were arrested in Belgrade by Serbian authorities (Service for the Prevention of Serious and Organised Crime) on Wednesday, 20 December, supported by the Met and the National Crime Agency (NCA).”
In the wake of the December 2019 raid on Tamara's home, her husband Jay Rutland 9, told of the trauma of the raid felt by Tamara — daughter of F1 billionaire Bernie Ecclestone.
Jay told police: “It is incredibly difficult for me to see how nervous my wife has become. Sophia [their daughter] asks if the burglars are coming back.
"I feel anger they have stolen from us, fear they could come back and sadness that sentimental pieces of jewellery cannot be replaced.”
