Flying Squad Snatches Watch Robbery Gang in Secret Sting
The Flying Squad, working with the Westminster Robbery Squad, swooped on a gang behind a string of luxury watch robberies in London’s west end. Their proactive operation led to the quick arrest of four men targeting high-value timepieces.
Watch Thieves Caught and Sentenced
On Thursday, 20 April at Southwark Crown Court, the four were sentenced for attempted robbery:
- Abukar Aligas, 23, of Holland Road, Brent – two years suspended for two years
- Mahamud Gudal, 22, no fixed address – two years suspended for two years
- Abdikafi Omar, 21, of Buchanan Gardens, Brent – two years suspended for two years
- Zakaria Mohammed, 22, of Leghorn Road, Brent – two years and 12 weeks in custody
How the Sting Went Down
In the early hours of Friday, 12 August, a 29-year-old man left a bar in Berkeley Square around 2am. He hopped into a taxi unaware he was being tailed by the gang in a separate car. The criminals had spotted his £2,000 watch and were ready to strike.
The Flying Squad had been monitoring the gang since 1am due to suspicious behaviour linked to recent watch robberies across the capital.
As the victim reached home and exited the taxi at 2:20am, the gang pounced. They grabbed him by the neck, slammed him to the ground, and tried to snatch his watch. However, the clasp wouldn’t budge.
Failing to steal the watch, the gang fled but were quickly chased down by Flying Squad officers and arrested for attempted robbery.
Detective Sergeant Praises Team Efforts
Detective Sergeant Gary Taylor: “I am proud that the proactive work my team does, as demonstrated in this case, resulted in the arrests and the sentencing of these four individuals. We are doing everything in our power to ensure London’s streets are safer and that criminals like these are brought to justice. We remain committed to tackling robbery in all its forms.”
