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A gang of robbers raiding an EE shop were ambushed by undercover police as they emptied the shelves of smartphones.
Last night four men wearing surgical masks and hoods stormed the EE mobile phone shop in Kilburn High Road and threatened staff to open the safes containing the devices.
Two of the suspects detained staff and customers on the shop floor whilst the remaining two forced a staff member to open the storeroom.
The suspects then loaded phones into the bag but Flying Squad detectives arrived on scene and stopped them before they could run away.
A staff member told the Metro: ‘Robbers came to our shop two weeks ago but the manager pretended to faint and then hit the panic button and they ran away.
The gang tried to make off with a bag full of phones but were caught by undercover police (Picture: Met Police)
The gang tried to get into the safe in the EE store (Picture: Met Police)
The Flying Squad tasered one of the suspects (Picture: Met Police)
The robbers were caught as part of a sting operation by the Flying Squad (Picture: X)
Police apprehended the suspect in Kilburn (Picture: X)
‘The police somehow thought they would come back and so staked the place out.
‘When they tried again undercover police, some in the shop grabbed them. The look in on their faces told it all. They were amazed.
‘They tried to leg it and one was tasered. It was like something out of a movie.’
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He added: ‘a lot of EE shops have been robbed in the past couple of months. Our Notting Hill branch was cleaned out.
‘It’s always the same four of them go in the shop and one goes to the store room and piles phones into a duffel bag. I am told they have knives. Obviously it’s terrifying for staff. This time they didn’t get away and no one was hurt.’
A shop manager opposite the EE store told Metro: ‘There were police everywhere we thought it may be a stabbing it was very frantic and there was shouting. Everyone in our shop stayed inside.’
Staff at another mobile phone store Three near the EE shop said they were on high alert in case they were targeted.
Staff at the EE shop said a change in the law which means phones come unlocked and not requiring a pin had made devices easier to sell on.
The sting was part of joint efforts from the Met’s Flying Squad and telecom industry leads from EE after a recent increase in high value commercial robberies at mobile phone stores across London.
Data, intelligence and reactive enquiries have enabled officers to conduct proactive deployments, including the one in Kilburn High Road, resulting in the arrest and charge of eight males who are linked to 10 robberies and one attempted robbery.
Detective Inspector Nikki Owen, from Flying Squad West, said: ‘Robbery involves theft by use of force.
The store in Kilburn that was robbed by the masked gang (Picture: John Dunne)
Staff at the EE store said it had been targeted multiple times in the past (Picture: X)
‘Whilst the industry is left counting the financial losses, the repercussions have a deep and lasting impact on victims and witnesses.
‘We will continue to work closely with our communities, partners and industry leads to prevent and disrupt crime. I am pleased to see that joint working is having a positive impact and shows our dedication to rebuilding public trust and confidence.
‘Under A New Met for London officers are intensifying efforts to reduce crimes that matter most to the community, particularly robbery, while actively engaging with the local communities to foster collaboration and trust.
‘Stolen mobile phones are often shipped overseas but many are sold on social media sites and in small shops.
‘Members of the public need to be aware of unwittingly purchasing stolen phones as the IMEI numbers are recorded by the industry and purchasers may lose the phone if it is identified as stolen property.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
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