A prolific parcel thief who stole thousands of pounds' worth of packages is facing prison after a sharp-eyed victim tracked him down using his distinctive tattoos. Camila Martins, from Westminster in London, was left perplexed after receiving a call from a DHL delivery driver on March 12 asking where the package she had left for collection was. Her confusion deepened when she discovered another parcel, delivered by DPD, was also missing despite receiving an email confirming its drop-off at 12.42pm.
Turning to CCTV for answers, the 44-year-old watched as the brazen thief slipped behind a DPD van to gain access to her gated mews. Footage shows the man lurking as the van delivers packages to neighbours before turning into Ms Martins' street. He chats with the driver, lights a cigarette, and appears to walk away as the van drives off. Minutes later, dressed in a blue camo North Face gilet, he returns, checks if anyone is home, seizes his chance, and snatches the parcels—including Chanel earmuffs worth around £1,000—before making a beeline for the exit.
Victim's Online Investigation
Ms Martins trawled online resale sites and astonishingly found the exact pair of stolen Chanel Shearling Lambskin Black & White earmuffs being sold on an eBay account. She identified them using the unique serial number, though the price had jumped from £900 to £2,556.70. Her suspicions were strengthened when she spotted her stolen Alexander J Imperial Peacock Eau de Parfum listed on the same account, which has since been deactivated.
Continuing her search, she sifted through hundreds of listings and came across photos showing a camera lens held by hands tattooed with distinctive birds. A sense of deja vu struck, leading her back to the CCTV footage, which showed the thief leaving her neighbourhood with parcels under his arm—revealing the same tattoos on his hands.
Confrontation and Police Involvement
Determined to recover the items, Ms Martins began messaging the suspected thief and arranged to meet him in person, offering £1,000 in cash. However, during their conversations, he suddenly became quiet. Ms Martins then contacted eBay and, believing she would receive a refund, repurchased the item using a friend's account for £2,657—around £1,000 more than she originally paid. She is now in a dispute with both the online selling platform and DPD over reimbursement.
The thief, revealed to be 31-year-old Ali Sadeghi, pleaded guilty last month to two counts of burglary—one in September 2025 and another related to Ms Martins—at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The scale of his operation became clearer when Ms Martins was asked to purchase the item on a Vinted account due to the 'large service charge' that eBay added. Pictures of items on the account featured the same tattooed hands.
'It had around 500 items listed and about 300 sales. That suggests he has stolen roughly 800 parcels,' she said. 'I think it is his job. He must have been doing it for over a year. He even has an iPhone 17, so he's not just someone stealing to fund a drug habit.'
Community Warnings and Wider Impact
The extent of Sadeghi's thievery was revealed as Ms Martins posted a warning on the neighbourhood social site NextDoor, prompting numerous replies. One claimed the thief had even posed as a delivery driver with a hi-vis vest to steal packages. Another post showed a poster in a nearby property with a photo of Sadeghi wearing a bucket hat, reading: 'Do not let this man in the building. He has stolen parcels over the last year. The police have been notified so please contact us if you notice him.'
Ms Martins contacted the police, who told her they knew who he was. 'The police officer told me he has been arrested before. They told me he is wanted. We know him but he doesn't have a fixed address and is living in the equivalent of an abandoned home.' Parcel thefts in the UK have surged, with an estimated £666.5 million of parcels stolen in 2025. Ms Martins called out the lack of repercussions for parcel thieves, as thefts are 'clearly increasing'.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: 'Ali Sadeghi, 31, of Lanhill Road W9 is due to appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, 27 April charged with two counts of burglary. The offences relate to incidents that took place in the borough of Westminster on 8 September 2025 and 12 March 2026.'
A spokesperson for DPD said they had investigated and confirmed the recipient had provided a leave safe instruction via the DPD app, and the driver followed the instructions. As a result, no claim for loss could be raised. An eBay spokesperson said the sale of stolen property is strictly prohibited and they are issuing the reader a full refund.
