Get you up to speed: Woman who ‘helped £33,000,000 jewellery heist’ is one of Europe’s most wanted people | News World
Ninoslava Jovic, a 41-year-old woman from Nis, Serbia, has been added to Europol’s most wanted list for her involvement in a £33,000,000 jewellery heist at the TEFAF art and antiques fair in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in June 2022. She is accused of providing logistical support to a gang of four men during the robbery, which remains under investigation by Dutch police, who are offering a £16,690 reward for information leading to their arrest.
Investigators have linked the suspects to an earlier attempted robbery at the same art fair in March 2020, which was foiled due to the Covid pandemic. Dutch authorities are gathering intelligence on the suspects’ movements, as Serbia does not extradite its own citizens, complicating efforts to apprehend them.
Europol has added Ninoslava Jovic and four Serbian men to its Most Wanted list following a £33,000,000 jewellery heist at the TEFAF art fair in Maastricht, with Dutch police offering a £16,690 reward for information leading to their arrest. Authorities are urging anyone who recognises the suspects or has information about their whereabouts to come forward, while warning the public against approaching them directly.
What remains unclear — Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the two women who returned one of the hired getaway cars.
Serbian woman added to Europol’s most wanted list for £33 million jewellery heist
Four men took part in the large jewellery heist (Picture: Europol)
A Serbian woman has been added to Europol’s most wanted list after helping a gang escape from a £33,000,000 jewellery heist.
Ninoslava Jovic, 41, from Nis, Serbia, is accused of supporting the robbery at the TEFAF art and antiques fair in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in June 2022.
She has now been placed on Europol’s Most Wanted list alongside four Serbian men accused of involvement in the spectacular raid, with Dutch police offering a £16,690 reward for information leading to their arrest.
According to investigators, Jovic did not take part in smashing the 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 while 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 that she could travel to other countries.
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Investigators added Jovic and four men to Europol’s most wanted list (Picture: Europol)
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.
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.
Jovic is believed to be living in Serbia (Picture: Europol)
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 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.
Ninoslava Jovic is wanted by Europol (Picture: Europol)
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. They have warned the public not to approach the wanted individuals directly.
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