EXCLUSIVEMulti-millionaire high society influencer who was victim of £10.4m jewellery heist

By EIRIAN JANE PROSSER and RORY TINGLE 19:53 30 Dec 2024, updated 00:03 31 Dec 2024

This is the multi-millionaire Instagram influencer who had over £10million worth of jewellery stolen from her Primrose Hill mansion - as police ramp up their manhunt for the armed thief who broke into her home.

Shafira Huang, an art collector and cultural ambassador of the Halcyon Gallery on Bond Street, was not in her home on the leafy North London neighbourhood when the raider struck.

The burglar broke through the second-floor window of the large home on Avenue Road, where properties cost more than £15million on average.

The glamorous victim has ramped up a following of more than 13,000 people on her public social media account by flaunting her fabulously wealthy lifestyle that most people could only dream of.

Most of the snaps show her globetrotting around the world to exotic locations travelling around on a private jet with Louis Vuitton luggage in tow.

From yachting around the harbour of Hong Kong while snacking on seafood to travelling to the desert in the Middle East and skiing in Aspen, the art connoisseur and her husband, whose name is unknown, appear to have the perfect life.

And while it is unknown if this was a random theft, the influencer has previously shown off several of the items the suspect stole.

The man, who is described as white in his 20s or 30s, made off with £10.4m worth of custom gems including a Graff 10.73-carat diamond ring, two De Beers butterfly diamond rings, and a Hermes 3.03-carat ring, aquamarine ring and Niloticud Lumiere necklace.

He also took other items of jewellery from luxury brands including Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels and Katherine Wang, alongside a further £150,000 worth of Hermes Crocodile Kelly handbags and £15,000 in cash.

And now photos uncovered by MailOnline show Mrs Huang proudly wearing a number of the missing items.

In one picture, the glamorous art connoisseur can be seen sitting in the back of a luxury car wearing one of the sapphire and diamond necklaces.

In another, the young woman, who recently had a dinner with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, can be seen posing for a mirror selfie clutching onto a £150,000 Hermes Crocodile Kelly handbag.

In a third, she can be seen lounging on a yacht surrounded by turquoise blue seas, wearing a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond encrusted bracelet with her name on.

And a fourth showing off a stack of crystal bangles thought to be designed by Hermes.

The upsetting heist took place on December 7, right before the Christmas holidays.

Despite the disturbing incident, Mrs Huang appears to have made the most of the festive season, attending a swanky dinner for the British Forces Foundation as well as hosting a meal with the Duchess of York.

Other clips of her lavish lifestyle show her spending time family time at a festive mansion and headed off to a snowy skiing location with her Louis Vuitton luggage in tow.

The keen traveller has recently spent the autumn months travelling through Italy, stopping off in Florence and Rome, documenting her picturesque trip away.

Earlier in September, she was seen on a girl's trip spending time on a yacht of the harbour of Hong Kong and spending time being served lobster while lounging on a beach.

In June, Mrs Huang attended Paris Fashion Week, attending some of the biggest designers shows from Channel to Hermes and Balenciaga.

The suspect is described as a white man in his late 20s to 30s, of medium build, who was wearing a dark hoodie, cargo pants and a grey baseball cap.

He covered his face and wielded a weapon during the break-in, which happened around 5pm on December 7 when no one was at home.

The wealthy victims are now offering bumper rewards totalling £1.5m, including £500,000 for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect and 10 per cent of the value of any recovered items.

Police described the raid as 'brazen' and described the stolen jewellery as having sentimental value.

Detective Constable Paulo Roberts from the Central North Basic Command Unit, who is investigating the burglary, said: 'This is a brazen offence, where the suspect has entered the property while armed with an unknown weapon and violated the sanctuary of the victims' home.

'The suspect has stolen £10.4m worth of jewellery, much of which is sentimental and unique in its design, and therefore easily identifiable.

'We urge anyone who was in the area of Avenue Road, NW8, and saw anything suspicious to please come forward.

'Also, if you have seen this jewellery since, someone has offered to sell you it, or you have any further information, then please also contact the police or Crimestoppers anonymously.'

Last month, two robbers were found guilty of attacking a celebrity antiques dealer with hammers during a raid on his shop in Chelsea.

Robbers James Dixon, 42, and Thomas Loring, 41, launched the savage attack against Ian Towning - who is a regular face on Dickinson's Real Deal and Posh Pawn.- and Mark Simmons, 60.

The horrific onslaught saw brutes Dixon and Loring charging into Mr Towning's store before the celebrity dealer was struck over the head with a hammer.

In harrowing CCTV footage released today by the Met Police, a bloodied Mr Towning can be heard screaming in terror as he cowers on the floor while his store is ransacked, with the thugs making off with £200,000 of jewellery.

'Oh my God, oh my God,' the celebrity antique dealer is heard yelling after falling to the ground having been hit over the head.

Dixon, of Pimlico, central London, and Loring, of Mottingham, south-east London, were convicted of a string of violent robberies and burglaries - along with the one at Mr Towning's store - that they committed in and around London earlier this year.

Police said they face being jailed for their crimes across London and Kent - with Mr Towning branding the duo 'vicious and evil'.

The Flying Squad officers who snared the offenders described Dixon as being like 'a loaded gun walking around ready to go off at any time'.

Describing the devastating effect the raid has had on his life, Mr Towning said: 'It's really screwed me up.

'I haven't slept well since, and I'm just nervous all the time. And even in my own garden, I feel vulnerable.

'I rarely dare walk down the street now, and if I do I don't like anyone being behind me, and at a restaurant I sit with my back to the wall because I don't trust anyone anymore.

'My teeth, hips, my arms, shoulders and my head, they all hurt and sometimes when I go into my shop, I don't like to be in there anymore, and that's not good for business and Mark feels the same.'

London's high-end neighbourhoods are regularly targeted by burglars, leading some wealthy residents to employ their own private security teams.

Shocking Ring doorbell footage of a recent burglary in Hampstead shows three men shoving a bolted door before making their way inside.

Despite the presence of a car in the drive indicating that the owners are home, the burglars produce two crowbars and force open the door before storming inside.

It is unclear how much the robbers stole in the raid or if anyone was inside the home at the time.

Police ask anyone with information about the December 7 burglary on Avenue Road to get in touch.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.