A Serbian woman has been placed on Europol's most wanted list for allegedly helping a gang escape after a £33,000,000 jewellery heist at an art and antiques fair in the Netherlands.
Ninoslava Jovic, 41, from Nis, Serbia, is accused of supporting the robbery at the TEFAF fair in Maastricht in June 2022. She is wanted alongside four Serbian men, with Dutch police offering a £16,690 reward for information leading to their arrest.
Alleged role in the robbery
Investigators say Jovic did not take part in smashing display cases or stealing the jewellery. Instead, she is suspected of helping the four men escape and providing logistical support, including arranging accommodation where they could hide.
Serbian media reports say she was allegedly filmed driving one of the hired getaway cars and is believed to have rented apartments used by the suspects as they fled through Austria and Hungary towards Serbia. Police believe Jovic is currently living in Serbia, with her last known location listed as Nis, although they have warned she could travel to other countries.
Her police description lists brown eyes, blonde or brown hair, and distinctive tattoos on both forearms. The right arm bears the name 'Selena' in elegant lettering, while the left has the word 'Faith' written in a calligraphy-style font. Investigators also describe her as having noticeably full lips.
Four men also wanted
The four men wanted alongside her are Aleksandar Cenic, 50, Aleksandar Stojiljkovic, 50, Dusko Dimitrijevic, 50, and Bratislav Stojanovic, 41. The suspects were added to Europol's European Most Wanted list on 29 October, after an investigation lasting more than four years.
A Dutch police investigation leader said: "We have gained insight into names, aliases, images and the places where the suspects may be staying." He added that Serbia does not extradite its own citizens, meaning Dutch authorities hope to obtain information about their movements so they can be arrested if they travel abroad.
Investigators have also revealed that the same art fair was allegedly targeted in an earlier attempted robbery in March 2020. Information recovered from encrypted Sky ECC communications linked at least one of the five suspects to that attempt, which was abandoned after the exhibition was closed during the Covid pandemic.
The heist and its aftermath
The original raid took place as visitors attended the prestigious exhibition. Four men dressed in smart suits, caps and glasses approached a jewellery stand belonging to London-based jeweller Symbolic & Chase before smashing glass display cabinets with hammers. Some of the gang were armed with what appeared to be guns and threatened visitors while their accomplice grabbed the jewellery.
Nobody was injured during the robbery, and the gang escaped on electric scooters before continuing their getaway in hired vehicles. Investigators believe the men stayed in Belgium, including in Liège and Verviers, before travelling through Germany, Austria and Hungary towards Serbia.
Police are also seeking information about two other women who returned one of the hired getaway cars to a rental company near Frankfurt Airport in Germany on July 2, 2022. The women are not suspects in the robbery, but investigators want to speak to them because they may have information that could help locate the fugitives.
Three diamonds from the stolen haul have since been recovered, one in Israel, another in Hong Kong and a third in Botswana earlier this year. Among the missing valuables is a necklace featuring a rare yellow diamond estimated to be worth £27,000,000. The insurance company's investigators have separately offered a reward of £500,000 for information leading to the recovery of the stolen jewellery.
Dutch police are urging anyone who recognises the suspects or knows where they might be staying to come forward, and have warned the public not to approach the wanted individuals directly.
