Food & Beverage

Burglars steal over $60,000 worth of saffron from London warehouse

Saffron is worth more than its weight in gold.
Kelly Cheng Travel Photography/Getty Images

Police detectives are on the hunt for two burglars who stole £50,000 ($61,825) worth of saffron from a warehouse in east London. 

London police have released CCTV footage of the two suspects breaking into the warehouse in Ilford on the evening of June 11 and stealing nothing but the 10kg (22 lbs) box of the expensive spice. 

Saffron is worth more than its weight in gold, London's Metropolitan Police said on Thursday, due in part to its labor-intensive harvesting method. It is used in a number of cuisines, including in Spanish, Moroccan and Persian dishes. 

There have been no arrests for the London burglary but investigating officer Detective Sergeant Laura Mills appealed for anyone with information to get in touch with the police. 

"This is someone's livelihood and this theft will, of course, impact their business," she said. "The victims are angry and upset that someone has done this to them. It's important that those who are responsible are caught and the spice is returned to its rightful owners."