A 22-year-old Camden man belonging to a moped smash and grab gang has been found guilty along with nine others of raiding 17 shops and costing retailers an estimated £1million.
Mominur Rahman, 22, of Maitland Park Road, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary at Blackfriars Crown Court today.
Rahman and his accomplices aged 19 to 24 raided stores in a seven month-long spree taking phones, tablets and damaging the properties located across central and east London.
A jury heard how the gang wearing crash helmets and dark clothing would show up on mopeds, smash their way into stores – including Three shops in Kilburn High Road and Queensway – and ransack stock rooms while armed with a variety of weapons.
Commenting, Det Supt Sean Yates said: “These men are very dangerous criminals who targeted a chain of mobile phone shops across London. This case has led to dangerous individuals being taken off the streets, stopping them from committing more offences and causing serious injury to potential victims.
“We are pleased with the verdict. We are committed to pursuing those violent criminals who blight the communities they live in,” he added.
Between May 1 and November 27 last year the gang used hammers, knives and angle grinders in the raids using a battering ram to smash their way in.
In one attack a witness was even threatened with a gun.
The gang used weapons to beat overnight security guards at three different shops.
But detectives used devices’ GPS trackers when they were grabbed from a storeroom shelf allowing them to pinpoint the gang’s location so leading officers to identify two suspects at a minicab office after tracking one of the stolen phones.
Detectives also found a crash helmet with the DNA of one gang member at the office.
The gang’s spree came to an end when officers in cars and a helicopter chased the suspects on their mopeds on October 14 last year after the thugs targeted a phone shop in Walthamstow.
During the chase one gang member abandoned a mobile phone containing messages about the attacks, including texts about weapons they intended to use.
Six connected to the burglaries and the handling of stolen goods face trial in March 2018.
Rahman was found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary along with Courtney White, 23, of Higham Road, Tottenham, Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Goulton Road, Lower Clapton, and Chang Mabiala, 21, of Union Square, Islington.
Mohammed Ali, 24, of Newick Road, Lower Clapton, pleaded guilty to the same offence.
In August Chris Costi, 19, of Linscott Close, Lower Clapton and Bobby Kennedy, 22, of no fixed address but from the Islington area, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary with Alfie Kennedy, 21, of Arlington Avenue, Islington, and Adam Attalah, 21, of no fixed address, pleading guilty in the first week of the trial.
Dylan Castano Lopez, 20, of Rust Square, Camberwell, pleaded guilty before the trial started.
The gang will be sentenced at a later date.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here