$500k Worth of Goods Stolen from Berkeley Indian Jewelry Store

July 11 :
Attacks on the Bombay Jewelry Company, an Indian jewelry business in Berkeley, California, occurred in the afternoon on July 6. The individuals allegedly broke into the store at about 2:07 p.m., with the Berkeley Police Department cited in the media accounts. They robbed about half a million dollars' worth of merchandise by smashing display cases with sledgehammers and using weapons to intimidate and control the employees and customers.

After reviewing the surveillance tape from the Bombay Jewelry Company, KTVU found that there was initially just one suspect who approached the store. After removing his hoodie, he was buzzed in, since he had been denied access because of it. Six hooded, gloved, and masked accomplices brandishing firearms and sledgehammers were then shown the door.

Two sedans—one black and one silver—carried the gang to the location. In a July 8 announcement, officials said that the robbery is "actively investigating" by the Berkeley Police Department. According to The Berkeley Scanner, robberies in Berkeley have dropped dramatically this year, down from over 170 in 2018 to approximately 100 in 2024, notwithstanding this event. But this is just the latest in a string of heists that have targeted jewelry retailers in India.

Roughly twenty criminals with hammers smashed display cases and stole products from PNG Jewelers in Sunnyvale less than thirty days ago, in a situation quite similar to this one. More than a dozen robbers broke into Bhindi Jewelers in Newark on May 29, according to another incident. An assault on Sunnyvale's Nitin Jewelers had occurred earlier. Businesses and residents alike are in a state of terror after a string of heists that started in Newark and extended to Sunnyvale sapped millions of dollars in assets.