Jewel Heist: Scotland Yard Arrest 7 in East Weekend Robbery
They were able to steal the contents of 70 safe deposit boxes.
— -- British authorities have arrested seven people in connection with the London jewel heist that happened over Easter weekend.
The names of the suspects have not been released publicly, but they were identified as seven white males between the ages of 48 and 75, authorities said.
A "significant" amount of the "high-value" property was recovered and will be returned to their owners, authorities added.
The thieves stole from up to 70 safe deposit boxes from the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Limited building over Easter weekend.
Police did not disclose exactly what was stolen, but it is believed that diamonds and gold were part of the haul. Hatton Garden is a district of London famous for being the largest jewelry quarter in the U.K. specialized in the diamond trade.
The fire alarm was reportedly tripped by the thieves, but the police did not visit the vault to see what caused the alarm, which is a breach in protocol, according to a Scotland Yard spokesman.
Instead, private security officers were the ones to visit the site and clients who had keys to security deposit boxes were informed.
"There was no sign of a forced entry to the outside of the building,” Scotland Yard Flying Squad Detective Chief Inspector Paul Johnson told reporters in April. "The thieves have disabled the communal lift on the second floor and then used the lift shaft to climb down into the basement."
