An undercover police operation in the West End has slashed watch robberies.
The Met deploys officers wearing luxury brands like Rolexes near nightspots where thugs have been targeting unsuspecting revellers.
With no idea they are trying to steal from plain clothes police the thugs are ambushed by a back up team when they steal the watches.
More than 20 robbers have been convicted as a result of the operation while watch thefts have plummeted as word gets round the criminal community that the force is onto the opportunist thieves spreading misery.
In the six-month period prior to October 2022, there were over 300 watches stolen in the West End alone, with a total value of nearly £4m. A single watch can be worth a six figure sum with brands like Patek Philippe among the most targeted.
Police ran from their first two operations from October to December 2022 and March to October 2023 within Soho – area which accounts for 40% of all watch robberies in London.
The operations resulted in 31 arrests and 27 successful charges, leading to 21 convictions to date. Of this group, 14 individuals have so far been sentenced to a total of 26 years overall, with other cases pending.
The March-October 2023 deployment resulted in a 15.8% reduction in watch robberies compared to the same period the previous year (429 in March-October 2022, 361 in March-October 2023).
Officers from the Met Covert Policing Command and central London Robbery teams set up the undercover sting, in which officers wear genuine luxury brands, to catch the thugs red handed.
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