An exclusive Mail podcast investigating the £25million raid of F1 heiress Tamara Ecclestone’s mansion launches today as part of a new, hard-hitting true crimes series called ‘Heists, Scams and Lies: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone’s Diamonds’.

It follows crime correspondent George Odling and senior reporter Andy Jehring as they travel around Europe on the trail of the biggest domestic burglary in British history.

Speaking to police chiefs, victims, and even acquaintances of the thieves themselves, they build up the most comprehensive picture yet of what happened on the night and, over five gripping episodes, try to solve the mystery – where are Tamara’s stolen diamonds?

Odling was one of the first reporters on the scene after a gang of international cat burglars ransacked the socialite’s home in December 2019.

She was on holiday with her young family in Lapland at the time they struck the fortress-like property on London’s ‘billionaire’s row’ in Kensington – one of the most heavily guarded streets in Britain. 

Tamara Ecclestone Rutland pictured with her Formula One boss father Bernie Ecclestone

The jaw-dropping investigation will unfold on the first season of the Mail’s ‘Heists, Scams, and Lies’. Listen here

The audacity of the heist stunned the nation: the robbers made off with over £25million in jewels from a street that is also home to the Sultan of Brunei, former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic, and the embassies of Israel and Russia.

It also shocked authorities and saw the Flying Squad – some of London’s finest detectives – drafted in to crack the case.

Detective Constable Andrew Payne led the probe and in this new Mail podcast series, Heists, Scams and Lies, he talks through his remarkable investigation in intricate detail.

CCTV footage caught the moment burglars ran past a Wendy house in the back garden of Tamara Ecclestone’s Kensington home in December 2019

Whilst the crime itself has long since been solved, with gang members Juroslav Jovanovic (middle), Alessandro Maltese (L), and Alessandro Donati (R) jailed back in 2019, the whereabouts of the loot remains a mystery. Listen here

Speaking on the podcast, he explains how they uncovered that these international bandits were also responsible for hits on the West London homes of Frank and Christine Lampard as well as the late Leicester City chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, just days before raiding the Ecclestone home.

DC Payne then goes into the unorthodox methods his men used working with counterparts in Italy to catch gang members Jugoslav Jovanovic, Alessandro Maltese, and Alessandro Donati.

The thieves were finally jailed at Isleworth Crown Court in 2021 – but the whereabouts of the loot remained unknown while the mastermind, a mysterious ‘fourth man’ with at least 19 different aliases, was still at large.

After the trial, Odling and Jehring were tasked to find out as much information as possible about the final suspect, flying to Milan and Belgrade where he was believed to be hiding out.

Speaking to his acquaintances across the Continent they ticked through his different aliases to find his real identity – even tracking him down to his hometown.

On the way they uncovered his extraordinary back story and a high-flying life of crime that could be lifted straight out of an Ocean’s 11 movie.

The first episode of Heists, Scams and Lies: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone’s Diamonds, available now on all good podcast platforms, looks at the mechanics of the heist, asking the question of how the thieves were able to so brazenly steal from one of the most fortified residences in the UK.

Talking Odling and Jehring through the crime, Tamara’s husband, Jay Rutland, says: ‘Those thieves should never have been able to get into my house.’

He remarks on the movement of the burglars that night, how they seemed to know the location of their most prized possessions.

Jay also reveals how he has not been able to recoup a penny of the stolen £25million worth of items on insurance due to a clause in the small print.

In this episode, Odling and Jehring also delve into the earlier burglaries, which started with a knock on the door of the home of England and Chelsea legend Lampard.

It also documents the glee with which the bandits tore into the home of the late Leicester City chairman, Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, downing £500 bottles of Crystal while pocketing fistfuls of luxury items.

The Mail’s jaw-dropping investigation will unfold in the first season of ‘Heists, Scams, and Lies’. New episodes released every Friday, wherever you get your podcasts.

Don’t want to wait? Join The Crime Desk now and hear all episodes in the series as soon as it launches. 

Plus, you’ll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series. 

Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.