Gang who robbed mobile phone shop in Chiswick High Road jailed

CTTV of gang robbing one of the shops

Ten men given jail sentences between two and ten years for robbing EE phone shops all over London

A gang who targeted mobile phone shops have been jailed for a total of more than 55 years. The organised crime group robbed shops all over London, including one on Chiswick High Road.

Between September and November 2024, detectives from the Met’s Flying Squad worked to identify and arrest members of the group responsible for at least 13 offences, mostly robberies at EE stores, using threats of violence to force staff to open secure stock rooms before making off with high-value mobile phones and other devices.

In total, they stole items with a total value of £240,000.

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Police analysed CCTV footage, forensic evidence, and mobile phone data to gather evidence to convict ten men for robbing EE shops in locations around London, including the EE Mobile Phone Shop, Chiswick High Road, W4 on 17 October 2024 and other shops in Holloway Road, Eltham, Balham, Crouch End, Notting Hill Gate, Putney, Clapham, Tooting, Fulham and Kilburn, over a three month period.

They observed the group as they prepared for further offences, and on 19 November 2024, officers moved in to arrest four of the men in the act at an EE shop in Kilburn.

Searches at addresses linked to the suspects led to the recovery of stolen devices and further evidence connecting the group to the robberies. All ten men were later charged. They were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Friday 7 November.

The ten men, all in their twenties, from different parts of London and Kent, received sentences of between two and ten years.

Detective Constable Stephen O’Connell, who led the investigation from the Met’s Flying Squad, said:

“This case shows the Met’s continued determination to tackle organised phone theft and robbery.

“We know how much distress these crimes cause to staff and the impact on businesses. We’re dismantling criminal networks at every level, from street-level thieves to organised crime groups – and we will continue to work with retail and industry partners to identify and arrest offenders.”

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Alex Towers, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at BT Group, added:

“We thank the police for their hard work in securing a conviction in this case. We take the safety and wellbeing of our employees and customers extremely seriously and have long collaborated with law enforcement on cases like this.

“We will continue to do all we can to tackle this sort of theft through our own advanced security measures and shared efforts with the police.”

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