Watch as thieves caught on camera fleeing jewellery store with £60k 18 carat gold and diamond ring

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A pair of thieves were caught on camera sprinting out of a jewellery store carrying an 18 carat gold and diamond ring - leading to a high speed chase with police.

Shabir Patil, 39, and Khaqan Raja, 36, strolled into a shop in East Sussex and pretended to look at jewels on the counter, before snatching a ring worth around £60,000. The pair then legged it to a Jaguar getaway car waiting in the car park outside - hitting 120mph as they tried to evade police.

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Both men travelled some 300 miles from Lancashire to carry out the theft in Eastbourne, East Sussex. CCTV footage showed the pair entering the store, where they spent less than 10 minutes asking to look at three high-value items.

In the clip, Raja pretended to take a phone call and leave, before Patel snatched the valuable ring and headed for the door. While trying to catch the thieves, police were tipped off by a member of the public who spotted two vehicles travelling together switching registration plates.

The getaway car was spotted racing along the A23 towards Crawley, West Sussex, at speeds of up to 120mph. Armed cops tracked the two vehicles down in Lancashire and body cam footage showed officers bringing it to a stop on the M23 north of Blackburn and they were arrested.

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A VW Bora was also stopped on the M25 heading north towards London. At Lewes Crown Court on April 26, Raja, of Blackburn, Lancashire was jailed for two years and four months after admitting to driving while disqualified and theft of a gold platinum and diamond ring valued between £50,000 and £100,000.

His accomplice Patel, also of Blackburn, admitted to the same theft offence and was sentenced to a year in prison. Footage of the escape bid by the two thieves was released by police on Tuesday, May 9.

Detective constable Ciara Richardson, investigating officer for Sussex Police, said today: “Khaqan and Patel thought they could get away with stealing a high value ring from Sussex.

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“But thanks to information reported by the public and the fast response by officers, we were able to stop them. With the weight of evidence they had no choice but to plead guilty.”

Thieves caught on camera robbing a jewellery store in East SussexThieves caught on camera robbing a jewellery store in East Sussex
Thieves caught on camera robbing a jewellery store in East Sussex | SWNS

Superintendent Rachel Glenton, of Sussex and Surrey Police’s head of roads policing, added: “At one stage a vehicle was seen reaching speeds in excess of 120mph, which put the safety of other road users at high risk."

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