West London Thieves Jailed for Raking in £157,000 from Drunk Night Owls
A gang of five men have been sentenced for stealing nearly £157,000 from intoxicated Londoners during wild nights out. The crew targeted victims across the capital, swiping bank cards and splashing cash on designer gear worth a whopping £37,000.
Prison for Two, Suspended Sentences for Three
On August 12, the men pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to crimes including possession of criminal property, conspiracy to steal, and conspiracy to defraud. Their sentencing came on November 24.
- Mohammed Yusuf, 26, and Arun Babbar, 23, both from Harrow, landed more than three years each behind bars plus five-year criminal behaviour orders.
- Hamzah Mahmood (Wembley), Reece Brown, and Mahamed Hassan (all Harrow) received suspended sentences.
Babbar got a three-and-a-half-year stretch. Mahmood must complete 100 hours of unpaid work, undergo a 20-day rehabilitation course, wear an electronic tag for three months, and stick to a six-month curfew, alongside a three-year criminal behaviour order. Brown and Hassan face two-year orders, 20-day rehab activities, and three-month tagging.
Daring Heists on London’s Night Streets
The gang launched their spree on November 26, 2021. Babbar, Mahmood, and Yusuf boxed in a man withdrawing £10 near Cannon Street. The victim soon discovered over £1,000 had been fraudulently spent using stolen cards. Another victim lost £10,000 on designer clothes after a night that ended with the gang invited to his flat in Ealing.
Just two days later, Babbar and Hassan snatched four luxury watches worth £26,800 and ripped off £27,000 for clothes and sportswear from a night clubber in Euston.
Police Close In as Fraud Unravels
Babbar was arrested on December 16, 2021, linked to a London Bridge area robbery and sentenced to an eight-month term running alongside his theft punishment. In March 2022, police caught Hassan and Mahmood near an ATM with fraudulent cards. Multiple home searches uncovered further stolen goods and a cryptocurrency wallet loaded with £59,991 connected to Babbar.
“This group targeted people who had been drinking because they knew they’d be vulnerable. They gained their trust, even inviting themselves into victims’ homes before robbing tens of thousands from their bank and crypto accounts,” said Detective Sergeant Dominic Shaw of the City of London Police’s Major Crime Team.
