Also known as: Wafi City jewelry heist; House of Graff robbery (Dubai)
Date: 15 April 2007
Time: Approximately 10:00 p.m. local
Location: Wafi City (Wafi Mall), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Target: House of Graff (Graff jewelry store)
Suspected perpetrators: “Pink Panthers” (international jewelry-theft network)
Cars Involved: Audi S8 (D2.5)
Method: Vehicle ram-raid using two stolen Audi sedans; smash-and-grab with hammers; toy guns used to intimidate
Estimated value stolen (reported): Dh14.7 million (court and Dubai Police-era reporting); other estimates vary in international coverage
Outcome: Multiple suspects arrested and prosecuted over subsequent years; others remained at large under Interpol notices
OVERVIEW
The Wafi Mall Graff Heist was a high-profile smash-and-grab robbery carried out at Dubai’s Wafi City shopping complex on 15 April 2007. The incident became one of the best-known Middle East robberies associated with the Pink Panthers, a loosely networked criminal group linked to dozens of luxury jewellery raids internationally. The Guardian
BACKGROUND
The Pink Panthers is the name used by international law enforcement and media to describe an interconnected set of crews primarily linked (in many reports) to the Balkans, known for fast, theatrical raids on high-end jewellers. The nickname derives from an early case in which a stolen diamond was reportedly concealed in a cosmetic container, echoing a visual gag associated with The Pink Panther franchise. Wikipedia
Following a surge in similar heists across multiple countries, Interpol and national police forces expanded cooperation on these cases; later reporting credits cross-border coordination and forensic links (including DNA evidence) as central to identifying suspects connected to Dubai. The Guardian
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HEIST
According to court reporting and contemporaneous accounts, the robbery was executed at approximately 10 p.m., with masked men entering the Graff boutique and using hammers/iron tools to smash display cases while brandishing toy guns to intimidate staff. Gulf News
A frequently cited detail is the speed of the operation: reporting describes the heist as completed in under a minute (and, in a separate international recounting, approximately 170 seconds). Khaleej Times
VEHICLES USED
Multiple Dubai/UAE news reports—some explicitly referencing Dubai Police statements—say the crew used two stolen Audi A8 sedans, though the presence of Avus style wheels suggests they were Audi S8s (D2.5), driven through the mall’s glass façade as part of the entry and getaway sequence. Khaleej Times
After the theft, the two cars were burned in an apparent attempt to destroy forensic evidence (reported both as occurring near a desert stretch and as occurring after driving off toward Za’abeel Road). Emirates24
A8 vs S8 note: Later retrospective writing has described the cars as Audi S8s, but the Dubai-focused reports that specify the model overwhelmingly call them Audi A8s. Gulf News
LOSS ESTIMATES
Dubai court-era reporting commonly cites Dh14.7 million in stolen jewelry and watches. Khaleej Times
An international feature recounting of the robbery describes the amount as $3.4 million, reflecting the same “fast-hit” narrative but using a different estimate and currency. The Guardian
(As with many major jewelry thefts, estimates vary across outlets, often depending on whether figures reflect retail value, insured value, or later reconciliations.)
INVESTIGATION, ARRESTS & PROSECUTIONS
Dubai and UAE reporting describes a long-running investigation that relied on forensic evidence and international cooperation. One account notes Dubai Police submitting DNA samples to Interpol and conducting meetings with international counterparts across multiple countries. Khaleej Times
A major public update came years later when Dubai Police announced the arrest of an additional suspect, and subsequent reporting summarized outcomes for multiple defendants.
LEGACY
The Wafi City raid became a reference point for the Pink Panthers’ public mythos: a high-speed luxury heist executed in a heavily surveilled, high-footfall environment using large sedans as battering rams—an approach that elevated both the spectacle and the investigative urgency. The Guardian