Thieves spent money at luxury superstore Harrods buying celebratory champagne after a series of raids targeted the homes of the rich and famous, a court has heard.
The gang burgled footballer Frank Lampard’s home in Chelsea, Socialite Tamara Ecceltone’s £70 million mansion near Kensington Palace, and the Knightsbridge home of the late Leicester City chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
After a £1 million raid on Mr Srivaddhanaprabha’s home, the gang bought champagne from Harrods, which is also in the Knightsbridge area of central London, the court was told.
It was also alleged that shopping sprees to Harrods were used to launder stolen cash.
“The plan, quite simply, was to steal as much as possible from some fantastic houses in this city of London,” said prosecutor Timothy Cray QC.
“The burglaries netted big money – in round figures £26 million-worth of property was stolen, mainly in some fabulous jewellery and in cold, hard cash.”
Mr Lampard’s home was the first to be attacked. Police came within seconds of catching them and one alleged burglar cut his hand while escaping, jurors heard.
When the gang entered Ms Ecceltone’s home they escaped with goods worth £25 million, Isleworth crown court in west London was told.
Mr Cray said the gang beat a CCTV system and security guards to enter her mansion.
“It looks like the house is just so big the guards didn’t realise there were burglars in and a burglary going on until it was well under way. (The guard) goes to investigate and comes running back in to make a phone call to the other guard, who had popped out to Tesco to pick up groceries.
“The other security guard drops the trolley and drives a Range Rover through London at high speeds.”
Defence barrister Leonard Smith QC said the burglary was “one of the largest ever in this country”. He also suggested that the security alarm had been “conveniently deactivated”.
Alexandru Stan, 49, and Sorin Marcovici, 53, both of London, Maria Mester, 47, from Italy, and her son, Emil Bogdan Savastru, 30, who lives in London, are accused of being the London-based support crew for alleged burglars from Milan. They deny conspiracy to burgle.
Mester and Savastru also deny conspiracy to commit money laundering. The trial continues.
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
