British career criminal with a history of violence ‘is behind series of million-pound art heists across Europe’

A violent British career criminal is believed to be behind a series of million-pound art heists across Europe.

Daniel Kelly, 46, a ‘top end’ criminal, who has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder, led a string of raids with a gang of ‘city-break raiders’ targeting expensive Chinese antiquities, according to The Times.

One £2.8million heist on Geneva’s Museum of Far Eastern Art, which included two Ming dynasty bowls and a vase, were thought to have been carried out by the Chinese government. 

The multi-million pound raid even inspired a Hollywood studio to develop a film called The Great Chinese Art Heist, based on the idea that the Chinese government was returning goods stolen by British and French armies during the 19th century.

Kelly’s son Kaine Wright, a former West Ham youth player, was jailed for three years in 2023 afer he tried to sell a £1.9million 14th Century Ming vase after it was stolen from the Swiss museum. 

Police found a book with information on Chinese objects held in European museums when they stormed properties linked with Kelly.

A number of foreign holidays the 46-year-old embarked on coincided with burglaries at art galleries, museums and jewellers.  

 ‘He worked out that these museums have many millions of euros’ worth of exhibits but actually pretty weak security,’ a source with knowledge of the investigation said. 

Daniel Kelly (pictured), 46, a ‘top end’ criminal, who has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder, led a string of raids with a gang of ‘city-break raiders’ targeting expensive Chinese antiquities

One £2.8million heist, which included two Ming-dynasty bowls and a vase, were thought to have been carried out by the Chinese government

A Chinese antique wine cup from the Ming Dynasty was also stolen from the Geneva museum

‘They were easy targets for little risk.’ 

‘Because Kelly quickly left each country, the local police could not trace him; and because they were outside the UK, the travel links were not pieced together.’

Gang members Louis Ahearne, 36, and brother Stewart Ahearne, 46, have been jailed after admitting breaking into the Geneva museum.

Kelly, from Greenwich, south London, is wanted in Switzerland and Japan and was the first person in the country jailed for smuggling drugs into prisons by using drones.

He also has convictions for kidnapping, burglary and aggravated burglary.  

Prosecutors are hoping to link him to a series of heists across Europe.

Kelly’s son, former West Ham United youth player Kaine Wright (pictured) was jailed for three years in 2023 for trying to sell a stolen vase worth £1.9m

On Monday, Kelly and crime partners Louis and Stewart Ahearne were found guilty of conspiracy to murder Paul Allen (pictured)

Kelly, from Greenwich, south London, was the first person in Britain jailed for smuggling drugs into prisons by using drones

Japan previously made an extradition request for Kelly and his son as they are accused of a violent robbery at a Harry Winston jewellery store in Tokyo

The Ahearne brother and Kelly visited the Netherlands in February 2019, the same month 11 Chinese antiques were taken from Princessehof Ceramics Museum in Leeuwarden.

On Monday, the trio were found guilty of conspiracy to murder Paul Allen, who was convicted of a £54m cash robbery from a Securitas warehouse in Kent – the biggest in British history. 

Japan previously made an extradition request for Kelly and his son as they are accused of a violent robbery, where a security guard was attacked and £630,000 of jewellery was stolen, at store in Tokyo in 2015.