46 Cops Smash Crime Gang in Dawn Raids
Forty-six officers swooped on multiple addresses in a massive crackdown on a violent organised crime gang. Police uncovered clothing linked to the crimes, mobile phones, and Class A and B drugs during the raids.
Raid Targets Robbery Gang Behind High-Profile Heists
The busts are part of Operation Fujita, an ongoing probe to nail a gang suspected of two brutal offences. The first saw crooks smash windows at a Regent Street clothing store in the early hours of January 5. They smashed in with a sledgehammer, grabbed goods, and sped off in a BMW.
Just over a month later, on February 7, the same BMW was used to rob a cash-laden security van on Cricklewood Broadway. Locals tried to stop their getaway by blocking the BMW’s path.
BMW Used to Dodge Police With Cloned Plates
The getaway car was kept briefly in NW8 before being shuffled around with fake number plates to dodge cops. The gang’s tactics show how far they went to avoid capture.
Four Held as Police Close In
- 39-year-old man arrested in Camden for conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary
- 28-year-old woman arrested in Camden on suspicion of conspiracy to conceal criminal property
- 44-year-old man caught in North Gower Street for conspiracy to commit robbery
- 33-year-old man nabbed in Kensington and Chelsea for conspiracy to commit robbery
All suspects remain in custody at Central 1 police station.
Detective Sergeant Vanessa Calafat, Met Flying Squad: “Today’s arrests are the result of a complex investigation by a team of officers who have diligently trawled through hours of CCTV and made countless calls and enquiries. Identifying and apprehending organised criminals and stopping them from conducting their illicit activities within our communities remains our primary objective.”
