Two Dangerous Robbers Locked Up for 22 Years After Armed Hotel Heists in London
Crackdown on Armed Hotel Robbery Gang
Two men have been jailed for a combined 22 years following a string of violent hotel robberies across London. The pair were caught after relentless surveillance, double shifts, and painstaking CCTV analysis by the Met’s Flying Squad and City of London police.
The crackdown removed a loaded CO2-powered firearm, ammunition, and two dangerous criminals from the streets.
The Crimes: Brutal Attacks at London Hotels
Dymtro Shcherbinskyy, 42, and Ghislain Kiamuangana, 34, terrorised three London hotels between January 2022. They stormed premises with faces covered, threatening staff at gunpoint, restraining them, and forcing safe combinations. The robbers netted thousands in cash while leaving victims traumatised.
- First attack: Southwark Bridge Road hotel – about £4,000 stolen
- Second: Canning Town hotel – failed to access safe, left empty-handed
- Third: City hotel – £3,000 stolen at gunpoint
How Police Nailed the Armed Gang
Detectives uncovered the gang’s stolen white Sprinter van using cloned number plates—vital forensic evidence linking all robberies. ANPR checks traced the van to Essex, leading to a nine-day surveillance operation in Romford.
“Combining forces was essential,” said Detective Sergeant Lee Warrington, Flying Squad. “Specialist techniques stopped these men fast, protecting the public from further harm.”
Detective Inspector Colin Bishop added, “We were determined to bring these offenders to justice. CCTV showed their escape on a van with cloned plates, linking to previous crimes.”
Justice Served: Harsh Sentences Handed Down
Both men pleaded guilty to multiple counts of robbery, attempted robbery, and firearm possession. Kiamuangana, a French national with no fixed address, received 10 years’ imprisonment, which included a theft sentence for stealing £12,000 from a hotel safe in 2021.
Shcherbinskyy, identified as the ringleader from Romford, was locked up for 12 years.
Police also seized the CO2 firearm, live rounds, stolen vehicle, and several sets of number plates during arrests at Greenwich and Romford addresses.
This successful operation sends a clear message: armed robbery and violence won’t be tolerated on London’s streets.
