The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police have arrested and sentenced members of an organised crime gang responsible for a string of violent robberies at mobile phone shops across London.
According to a police statement, the group which included four Nigerian nationals, carried out a series of coordinated attacks between September and November 2024, targeting primarily EE retail stores.
The robbers reportedly used threats and intimidation to force employees to unlock secure stockrooms before escaping with high-value phones and electronic devices.
Detectives said the arrests followed months of “painstaking” investigation involving CCTV analysis, forensic examinations, and mobile phone tracking.
Officers also monitored the group’s activities as they planned further robberies.
On November 19, 2024, police moved in during an attempted raid at an EE outlet in Kilburn, apprehending four of the suspects in the act.
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Subsequent searches of their residences uncovered stolen merchandise and additional evidence linking them to several other incidents across the city.
Ten men in total were charged and, following their conviction, were handed prison sentences amounting to more than 55 years combined.
Among those sentenced were:
• David Akintola, jailed for six years and six months;
- Ayomide Olaribiro, jailed for four years and six months;
- Olabiyi Obasa, jailed for three years and six months; and
- David Okewole, jailed for seven years and six months.
Police authorities said the successful convictions underscore their commitment to dismantling organised crime networks operating within London’s retail sector.
