Moped And Mobile Phone Robber Locked-Up

A knife-wiedling teen, who robbed online moped and mobile phone sellers has been caged for five years.

Ayman Ghazoini, 18, of Second Avenue, Ealing, was convicted of three counts of robbery and two counts of theft.

The offences were also in breach of a Youth Referral Order he was subject to for previous offending.

The Old Bailey heard Ghazoini preyed on people who had placed their mopeds and mobile phones on online marketplaces.

The offences occurred between Saturday, January 6 and Sunday, January 28 in and around the Brunel Estate and Great Western Road, Paddington, area where the sellers had been told to meet him.

When they got there, they were confronted by a group of males who threatened them with knives and a bike chain.

The property they had gone to sell was then taken either under the threat of violence or by asking for a test drive.

Detectives from Westminster launched an investigation and Ghazoini was arrested on Thursday, February 1.

Detective Constable Andrea Hewes, of the Westminster Crime Squad, said: “We quickly established that the same suspects were behind the robberies and after a thorough investigation, we identified Ghazoini.

“A search was carried out at his home address where we found the mobile phone that had been used to contact the victims with the intention of purchasing their unwanted property.

“We are pleased that someone who used threats of violence has been sentenced to such a significant time and prison.

“Our enquiries into the other people involved remain ongoing.”

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to contact Westminster Crime Squad via 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.