Three convicted members of a scooter gang will be subject to a confiscation order of more than £64,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act, should they appear to acquire an extravagant lifestyle on their release from prison.
This followed a hearing on Wednesday, 17 May, at Blackfriars Crown Court.
Additionally, £8,925.05 plus interest also from proceeds of crime was seized from their home address and handed over to the Metropolitan Police Service. This was as a result of their general criminal conduct after the court decided that the defendants have a criminal lifestyle.
Should the three men be seen to be living what is considered to be beyond their financial means, police will be eligible to seize assets from them to the individually allocated amounts.
Alamin Kazi, 24 (03.10.92) of Plender Street, Camden would have to forfeit £32,850. The judge gave him 28 days to contest the amount as he is still in prison.
Khalid Kazi, 23 (25.02.94) of Plender Street, Camden was allocated a sum of £7,629.99 as a forfeiture. He is currently out under license.
Shalim Kazi, 20 (26.09.96) of Plender Street, Camden was allocated a forfeiture payment of £23,850. He too is currently out under license.
The Kazi brothers were part of a scooter gang that stole up to 10 motorbikes and scooters a day, which they would use to snatch and steal mobile phones from pedestrians. They disposed of the scooters and bikes by selling them on to the public before being convicted on 22 July 2016.
Detective Chief Inspector Will Young, of the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: "This was another fantastic result, which has not only seen a prolific gang of scooter-enabled crime taken out of action, but robust penalties put in place after release from prison. If you commit a criminal offence such as this we will catch you and bring you to justice and use every legal punishment available to bring to bear.
"I want to send a strong message to individuals who use powered two wheelers on London’s roads to commit crime that they are making a dangerous choice, which potentially puts themselves and other members of the public, including police officers, at risk.
“The Met is committed to the detection, disruption and arrest of those involved in moped and motor cycle theft and enabled crime and we will stem the ability of these criminals to commit these offences and ensure they will no longer be able to profit from other people’s loss.”
Following the arrest of the members of the Kazi family, after a year-long undercover police operation, moped enabled crime in parts of London dropped by a quarter, detectives say.
Blackfriars Crown Court heard how the organised gang were responsible for stealing and selling mopeds and using the bikes to rob pedestrians across Camden, Islington and Westminster.
Alamin Kazi, 23, Khalid Kazi 22, and Shalim Kazi, 19, all of Plender Street, Camden, admitted a total of 25 charges of moped enabled robbery, stealing mopeds and selling stolen mopeds between them.
The court heard all the gang members took turns at driving the mopeds or being the passenger and most robberies took place at bus stops.
They were arrested on January 28 following a year-long undercover operation by the Metropolitan Police Roads and Transport unit.
Detectives seized £195,000 of stolen property and vehicles.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “For a three-month period following the arrest of the gang, a 24 per cent decrease in thefts of motorbikes and mopeds was seen in the key boroughs of Camden, Islington, City of Westminster and Tower Hamlets.”
http://news.met.police.uk/news/convicted-scooter-gang-members-subject-to-confiscation-order-242825
