Fugitive Drill Rapper Spotted on London Bus as Police Manhunt Intensifies
Fresh CCTV footage has revealed a new sighting of fugitive drill rapper Daniel Boakye, who remains on the run ahead of his scheduled deportation flight to Ghana. The police manhunt for the convicted gang member has now entered its ninth day, with authorities intensifying efforts to recapture him.
Escape from Custody and Hospital Incidents
Daniel Boakye, aged 21, was set to be removed from Britain to Ghana later this year following his imprisonment in July 2023 for a series of knifepoint robberies. An inmate of HMP Feltham in Hounslow, Boakye initially escaped custody after fleeing from Lewisham Hospital in south-east London on February 15, where he had been taken for medical treatment. This incident marked his second escape attempt within a week, as he had previously eluded a prison officer escort at West Middlesex University Hospital on February 10, only to be recaptured by Metropolitan Police officers the following day.
Latest CCTV Image and Public Appeal
Police have now shared an updated image of Boakye, whose manhunt has entered its second week. The latest picture shows him on CCTV boarding a London bus, though the specific bus route remains unclear. In the image, he is wearing a dark grey zip-up top, grey tracksuit bottoms, and black trainers with white soles. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated, 'Officers searching for a 21-year-old man who absconded from Lewisham Hospital are releasing a new image, as they continue to appeal to the public for information.' Boakye is described as a black man of slim build and was last seen in the attire shown in the released image.
Online Taunts and Criminal Background
The sighting comes just one week after Boakye, also known by his rapper name DSavv, posted a video online taunting officers attempting to track him down. A clip posted to his Instagram account, which has nearly 500,000 followers, shows him rapping while smoking a joint, with the caption 'I'm free.' In the footage, Boakye brags about breaking out of jail, references a character from the Netflix crime drama Top Boy, and criticises the government and police, displaying a picture of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on-screen. He was sentenced to six years and five months in prison in July 2023 for several armed gang robberies, where he and three other teenagers stole over £155,000 in cryptocurrency at knifepoint across London between June 2021 and January 2022.
Investigation Details and Public Response
The gang forced victims to hand over phones and passwords while threatening them with knives, then transferred the cryptocurrency into 'hot wallets.' They were eventually caught after using stolen bank details to order takeaway meals to their homes. Following Boakye's most recent sighting, authorities have urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact police on 999, quoting CAD4005/15FEB. The ongoing manhunt highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in tracking fugitives with significant online followings and criminal networks.
