Bentley Driver's Accidental Photo Captures Mayfair Watch Thief Before £65,000 Robbery
A Bentley driver inadvertently photographed one of the robbers who later stole his £65,000 luxury watch during a violent attack in London's exclusive Mayfair district. Besart Krasniqi had been attempting to take a picture of his luxury vehicle when he accidentally captured an image that would later help identify one of the perpetrators.
Planned Attack on Wealthy Victim
On May 11 last year, Mr Krasniqi was leaving the Hideaway Cafe on Mount Street with his pregnant wife when three men targeted him in what a judge later described as 'a serious, planned, group attack'. One man ripped the Patek Philippe watch from his wrist while another pushed him to the ground during the confrontation.
Moments before the robbery, Mr Krasniqi had been photographing his Bentley in the sunlight, unaware that his camera had captured one of the assailants in the frame. This accidental photograph would later prove crucial to police investigations.
Illegal Immigrants Sentenced
Belal Amine, 26, and Gabriel Kamali, 23, were identified as two of the three robbers involved in the incident. Both men had entered the United Kingdom illegally in 2019, with Kamali arriving via small boat as a teenager. The third perpetrator remains at large.
During sentencing at Southwark Crown Court, Judge Perrins emphasized that this was 'not an opportunistic robbery' but rather a deliberate targeting of wealthy victims. Kamali had served as the group's 'spotter', identifying the watch as genuine high-value before the attack.
Kamali pleaded guilty to robbery while Amine was convicted following a trial. Amine received a four-year prison sentence while Kamali was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. Both face automatic deportation upon release due to their immigration status and sentence lengths.
Victim's Trauma and Changing Crime Patterns
In his victim statement, Mr Krasniqi described how the attack unfolded: 'I was pushed on the left shoulder by a male. A second male ripped the watch off my left wrist. Both men ran off along Carpenter Street.' He gave chase but was knocked to the ground by a third assailant.
The stolen Patek Philippe watch, valued at approximately £65,000, was never recovered. The incident reflects a broader trend in Mayfair, where Algerian crime gangs have increasingly targeted wealthy individuals following police crackdowns on phone thefts.
David McKelvey, a former Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector, explained: 'The criminals are able to adapt very quickly. Once the police began having success reducing phone thefts, they started looking at other areas. A simple risk versus reward assessment means stealing one valuable watch makes more sense than multiple phones.'
Mayfair's Crime Problem
Mayfair, one of London's most affluent neighborhoods, has become a hotspot for organized robbery gangs who frequent posh bars and restaurants waiting for visibly wealthy targets. Earlier this month, BBC presenter Ben Thompson was robbed while leaving a Mayfair restaurant with a friend who had a £150,000 watch stolen.
Mr Thompson stated in a victim impact statement: 'After this attack my behaviour has changed – I no longer feel safe in London. I am nervous and jumpy when I hear a jogger or cyclist approaching behind me.'
Statistics reveal that while phone thefts in London decreased from 81,365 in 2024 to 71,391 last year, violent robberies targeting luxury items have increased correspondingly. An investigation found that 28 percent of phones stolen in Britain end up in Algeria, making it the primary global destination ahead of China.
The case highlights both the vulnerability of wealthy individuals in exclusive London districts and the adaptive nature of organized crime groups operating in the capital.
