15/11/2011

Ex-Arsenal Star Reunited With Watch

Former Arsenal footballer Lauren has been finally reunited with his vastly expensive watch at New Scotland Yard on Tuesday.

The Rolex Daytona watch owned by Laureano 'Lauren' Bisan-Etame Mayer had his watch stolen from him in March 2005, but his now been recovered after a major raid on addresses in London.

On Wednesday last week, detectives from the Tower Hamlets Crime Squad executed search warrants at addresses in Essex and east London. During the searches over 400 items were recovered, including high value jewellery, antiques, silverware and the watch. Also seized were several air rifles and a pump action 308 Remington rifle.

The rare stolen goods are worth in excess of £500,000, according to police.

Detective Sergeant Richard George of the Tower Hamlets Crime Squad said: "We are delighted to be able to reunite Lauren with his watch. We are utilising every tool available to us to identify as many victims as possible."

Experts said many of the watches recovered, both wrist and pocket, were sought after and highly collectable and that the majority of them were produced in limited numbers and would be identifiable to owners.

In order to give the items back, detectives have photographed all of the property and set up a Flickr page in the hope that owners will come forward to identify them.

It is hoped the Flickr page, containing over 200 images, entitled "Tower Hamlets - Operation Avitus" will allow the public to search through pictures of the stolen items to try to identify anything that might belong to them. Officers are appealing to anyone who has had property of this type stolen to visit the site and see if they recognise their property.

If you do believe any of the stolen items could be yours, you are asked to contact Tower Hamlets Crime Squad on 020 8217 3743; alternatively email opavitus@met.police.uk

to arrange to come in and view the property.

(DW)

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