Four members of an organised crime gang that stole £400,000 in a series of armed robberies targeting cash vans have been jailed. The gang used a fleet of stolen cars to travel to and from the violent heists in London, Oxford, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire between May 2018 and November 2019.
Armed with loaded handguns, metal crowbars, axes and knives, they often wore ballistic body armour and balaclavas while committing their crimes, the Metropolitan police said. Some of the stolen money was stained by security dye when the gang tried to force open a cash box, leading them to burn some and launder some through betting machines in bookmakers.
They also tried to cover their tracks by using cloned number plates on the stolen cars. But the Met flying squad had the gang under surveillance, using number-plate recognition cameras and phone evidence to track their activities.
Six members of the gang have already been jailed, and another four were sentenced at Kingston-upon-Thames crown court on Monday. Brooklyn McFarlane, 27, from Wandsworth, south London, was jailed for 13 years for conspiracy to commit robbery, weapons offences and handling stolen goods. Abdi Omar, 27, also from Wandsworth, was sentenced to nine years for conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and handling stolen goods.
Mahdi Hashi, 29, of Wandsworth, and Noaman Amin, 26, from Clapham Junction, were each jailed for nine years for conspiracy to commit robbery and threatening another with an offensive weapon. Detective Constable Stephen O’Connell of the Met police said: “This was an immensely complex investigation which demanded dedication and skill… The group caused havoc in and outside of London with high-value cars being stolen and a huge amount of money laundered and spoilt. These men have since discovered that crime does not pay.”
O’Connell said efforts to track down others believed to be in the same gang were continuing.
