FOI 428642
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 428642
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 26th August 2025. Please find below the response to your request:
In your police force area, how many incidents of "Asian gold theft" have taken place in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 to date
To clarify: "Asian gold theft" is the theft of gold from Asian families. Criminals are targeting Asian families knowing that many have gold, for cultural reasons.
Please could you specify the number of incidents, and the value of gold stolen if available, per year?
Can you break it down by category too if possible for 1) theft from a person 2) residential 3) commercial
Reply
West Mercia Police holds information which may fulfil your request.
|
Primary Offence Sub Sub Group for investigations identified through searches |
Calender Year |
01/01/2025-31/07/2025 |
Grand Total |
||||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|||
|
BURGLARY - RESIDENTIAL |
3 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
|
|
21 |
|
OTHER THEFT |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
13 |
|
RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY-HOME |
|
|
|
5 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
|
THEFT FROM THE PERSON |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
5 |
9 |
11 |
11 |
4 |
4 |
44 |
|
Primary Offence Sub Sub Group for investigations investigations identified through searches where the incident summary includes the value of the stolen items |
Calender Year |
01/01/2025-31/07/2025 |
Grand Total |
||||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|||
|
BURGLARY - RESIDENTIAL |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
12 |
|
OTHER THEFT |
2 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY-HOME |
|
|
|
2 |
|
1 |
3 |
|
Grand Total |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
|
1 |
19 |
|
Total Value of stolen jewellery taken from the incident summaries of identified investigations where the value of the jewellery is included in the incident summary |
Calender Year |
01/01/2025-31/07/2025 |
Grand Total |
||||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|||
|
£9,150 |
£75,605 |
£43,780 |
£117,000 |
|
£6,000 |
£251,535 |
|
Caveat: There is no specific offence title or keyword relating to the theft of Asian gold. It is not mandatory for stolen property to be listed in a separate field. Therefore keywords have been used to search the incident summary.
The second search searches just for “Asian Gold” in the incident summary.
The first search searches for stolen jewellery where the victim is listed as “Asian”.
The results from the two searches have been combined and reviewed each incident summary and discounted any that did not relate to the theft of jewellery. Please note that all crimes that mention jewellery being stolen are included not just those that specify that the items were made of “Asian Gold”.
First search:
Within either the primary offence sub group of:
Theft from person
Residential Burglary
Burglary Dwelling
Or within the primary offence sub sub group of:
Other Theft
Theft in a dwelling
Within the incident summary:
Necklace
Ring
Bracelet
Earring
Gold
Or with an item of property linked as;
Stolen or Stolen/Recorded
And with a Property Code Level 1; Jewellery
Or Property Code Level 2; Misc Jewellery, Bracelet, Necklace, Earrings, Ring
Of Property Code Level 3; Misc Jewellery Other, Bracelet, Necklace, Ring
With a person link reason of “Victim”
Who has an Ethnic appearance of “Asian”
Or Who has a Self-defined ethnicity of “Any other Asian Background”, “White and Asian”, “Pakistani”, “Indian”, or “Bangladeshi”.
Second search:
Within either the primary offence sub group of:
Theft from person
Residential Burglary
Burglary Dwelling
Or within the primary offence sub sub group of:
Other Theft
Theft in a dwelling
Within the incident summary:
Asian Gold