Undercover ‘victim’ cops were used by the Metropolitan Police to help catch a gang of thieves who had stolen millions of pounds worth of luxury watches in London.
Operations in wealthy areas of London such as Mayfair and Kensington involved undercover officers posing as wealthy people with expensive watches. When the gang struck, other undercover officers were there to apprehend them.
Over the course of 7 months there has been a sharp rise in high-value watch robberies in central London worth £4 million.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) January 17, 2024
Undercover officers set out patrolling major hotspots in Kensington and Chelsea, the West End and Mayfair to help people impacted by these robberies.
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The operation has led to 27 men being charged with a range of offences – with 21 convicted and 14 of those receiving prison sentences so far – and watch robberies falling significantly since.
Police acted after a major crime spree in the capital saw 300 watches – estimated to be worth £4 million – stolen in the five months between April and September 2022. Luxury brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe were targeted as they had a high resale value.
Commander for intelligence Ben Russell said that the criminals – mostly men in their 20s and 30s – would hang around in groups outside popular nightspots in the early hours of the night on Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays, when the greatest number of people were out – and would likely have been drinking to impair their judgement.
The criminals would then approach their targets and offer them access to drugs, before taking them to a side street and robbing them.
London is a hotspot for watch crime – about half of all watch thefts reported to the authorities occur in the capital – and it has been growing for some years, but accelerated in the years after COVID.
Following a first operation, watch crime in the three boroughs targeted fell by 28%. A second, later operation brought a further 16% fall in watch crime.
Those in London who are wearing expensive watches are advised to be aware of their surroundings and make sure they have their watch insured, as well as taking pictures of it.
