Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, Nov.07, 2025
LONDON, UK- A ten-man gang of thugs who terrified staff during a wave of violent mobile phone shop robberies across London have been locked up for a total of more than 55 years.
The organised crime group targeted at least 13 stores—mostly EE branches—in a two-month smash-and-grab spree that netted them an estimated £240,000 in high-value handsets.
The robbers used threats of violence to force terrified workers to open secure stock rooms before clearing out the latest mobiles and devices.
The Met’s elite Flying Squad launched a massive hunt, using CCTV, DNA, and phone data to track the crooks from September to November last year.
Their painstaking work paid off when officers swooped on November 19, 2024, arresting four of the men in the act during a robbery at an EE shop in Kilburn.
Searches of the suspects’ homes led to the recovery of stolen goods and key evidence linking them to the crime wave, which saw stores hit everywhere from Putney to Holloway Road.
Detective Constable Stephen O’Connell, who led the investigation, hailed the sentences, saying: “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.”
BT Group’s Alex Towers added thanks to the police for their “hard work in securing a conviction.”
All ten men were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court yesterday after admitting their roles in the terrifying conspiracy.
The longest stretch went to James Adodo, 25, of Dartford, who was caged for 10 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob.
Mushtakim Miah, 25, of Woolwich, was found guilty of attempted robbery and sentenced to 8 years and 6 months imprisonment.
Other members of the gang handed lengthy jail terms include: David Okewole, 23, of Northfleet: 7 years and 6 months; Michael Babo, 25, of Woolwich: 6 years and 10 months
David Akintola, 25, of Woolwich: 6 years and 6 months; The total sentence handed down to the crew came to more than 55 years behind bars.
