A jewellers was today raided by police as part of a crackdown on the sale of burgled goods, including Asian gold.
Officers arrested three men on Wednesday (January 8) afternoon at Bell Jewellers, in Cressy Corner, at the junction of Lampton Road and Hounslow High Street. Police said a large quantity of gold jewellery was seized.
They also searched the shop owner's home nearby after obtaining warrants that morning at Feltham Magistrates' Court based on intelligence suggesting stolen goods were being bought and sold at the store.
The three men, aged 51, 35 and 26, were all arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods at the shop, which had a poster on its door saying 'cash paid instantly' for gold in 'any condition'. They were bailed to return for police questioning.
The arrests were part of Operation Bumblebee, a London-wide crackdown on burglary. Police in Hounslow, where the theft of Asian gold is endemic, are determined to make it harder for crooks to sell their loot.
Superintendent Sally Benatar said: "We will continue to target anyone we suspect of handling stolen goods. We know the huge emotional impact that the loss of family gold jewellery has on burglary victims and we are determined to make it really hard for burglars to sell their stolen property in Hounslow.
"Crime is continuing to reduce in the borough, with 506 fewer burglaries in the financial year to date than during the same period in 2012/13."
