Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) house breaking implements.

1857		‘Events in Police Orders’ 13 Nov. on PoliceOrders.co.uk 🌐 PCs TO ATTEND POLICE COURTS. ‘GREENWICH’ FROM EACH DIV. TO IDENTIFY JOHN HENRY, FRANCIS SMITH, JOSEPH DODSON & GEORGE WEBB FOR BEING IN POSSESSION OF H.B.I.
1932		Western Dly Press 1 Nov. 6/2: When some jemmies and keys were found on a prisoner, the man said to Detective-Inspector Lynch [...] ‘H.B.I’s’.
1970		‘Metropolitan Police Sl.’ in P. Laurie Scotland Yard (1972) 324: h b i: House-breaking implements; possession of them is an offence.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.