In a carefully planned heist, burglars tunneled through the walls of several stores to access Marquise Jewelry in Schaumburg, stealing $1.5 million worth of merchandise.
The Incident
Burglars broke through the walls of multiple stores overnight to reach Marquise Jewelry at Woodfield Mall. Owners Asma Anwar and Shazad Malik arrived at their store on Friday morning to find their shelves emptied by the burglars.
“Everything was gone. They did not leave us anything,” said Anwar. “This was a well-planned burglary.”
Discovery and Investigation
Schaumburg police were alerted to the crime by a construction worker who entered a vacant store next to Marquise Jewelry at around 9:30 a.m. Monday and discovered a hole in the drywall. Police found that the burglars had cut through the walls of three other businesses to reach the jewelry store. Surveillance footage showed that one of the cameras had been covered to avoid detection.
“I came into this place that I worked hard for 13 years to build, and I came to this place, and it was wiped. I was speechless at that point,” Malik said.
Security Concerns
Anwar and Malik expressed frustration over the delayed notification and the apparent security lapse. Despite having security in their store and the mall’s overnight patrols, the burglary went undetected until the following morning.
“I need answers on how this was going on for overnight hours, after mall hours, how was this going on that the security was not notified,” said Anwar.
The couple emphasized the safety concerns raised by the incident. “This is a concern for my family’s safety, this is a concern for my safety. This is a concern for millions of people walking in this mall,” Anwar added.
Impact on Small Business
Anwar and Malik highlighted the significant impact of the theft on their operations. “We are small business owners. We are not a corporation. It’s going to take us a long time to recover, if we can,” said Anwar.
“It’s a whole mess. It’s a big mess, you know. It’s a heartbreaking thing,” Malik said.
Ongoing Investigation
Schaumburg police described the investigation as “very active,” and they are reviewing surveillance footage from various sources along with other evidence to identify the suspects involved.
Implications for the Industry
This incident underscores the importance of robust security measures for jewelry retailers, especially in mall settings. The sophisticated nature of the burglary highlights the need for comprehensive surveillance and prompt communication with mall security. Additionally, it raises concerns about the vulnerabilities that small businesses face in protecting their valuable inventory from such targeted crimes.
