Police in Oslo are investigating what they confirm is the second-biggest robbery in Norwegian history, after the Gullborgen jewelry story at Storgata 28 became the target of thieves during the weekend.
Sometime between 4pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday, when the crime was discovered, thieves broke into the store, got past its alarms and headed for the vault in the cellar.
After drilling though a concrete wall, they made off with an estimated NOK 40 million worth of gold and diamonds, a heist second only in value to the NOK 60 million snatched during the famed commando-style robbery of the NOKAS currency depot in Stavanger in 2004.
The weekend jewelry thieves also stole the surveillance cameras in the store, thereby seizing any pictures taken of themselves with them.
Police told newspaper Aftenpostenthat the thieves must have had “very good knowledge” of the location, but stressed they have no reason to suspect that Gullborgen’s owners or employees were involved. Investigators called for help from the public, regarding any observations of cars or persons outside the store from Saturday to Sunday afternoon.
Reports later emerged that the jewelry store was not insured against such theft, only robbery. “I had never thought something like this could happen,” said owner Elisabeth Borgen, according to news bureau NTB. “I thought our vault was 120 percent safe.”
Views and News from Norway/Nina Berglund
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