A thief who stole a laptop worth £1,700 by swapping bags in a Farringdon pub has been jailed after plain-clothed officers spotted him and gave chase. Mohamed Hade, 32, from Harlesden, was caught on CCTV switching the bag with one belonging to a person at the next table before leaving the pub on March 19.
Officers from the City of London Police’s Proactive Acquisitive Crime Team had been monitoring Hade and saw him exit the pub with a different bag than he had entered with. They pursued him along New Bridge Street towards another venue, arresting him for theft. Bodycam footage captured the moment he was handcuffed.
The victim had realised his bag was missing and was about to file a police report when officers arrived at the scene with his recovered belongings. Sergeant James Wood of the Proactive Acquisitive Crime Team said: “Opportunistic crimes such as bag and phone thefts can severely impact victims. Our team’s expertise in spotting criminals preying on people out in the City have resulted in a number of arrests and prosecutions.”
He added that his team will “continue to disrupt and target these criminals” using plain-clothed operations, intelligence work, and the city’s extensive CCTV network. “People shouldn’t worry about having their bags stolen while out, but professional criminals will seize any opportunity to take your belongings. We urge vigilance and to report anything suspicious to the police,” he said.
Hade pleaded guilty at Central London Magistrates’ Court to one count of theft from the person and was sentenced to three months in prison.
