Five-strong mob used stolen high-powered getaway cars to open cash boxes

Five men have has been jailed for a series of cash in transit robberies around the Harrow Road and Kilburn area.

Michael Brothers, 29, of Bravington Road, Queen’s Park, Yusef Taibi, 21, from Maida Vale, Thomas Knapper, 26, Daniel Wilson, 30, and Christopher Forde, 26, all of no fixed abode, carried out the thefts before running over the cash boxes with high-powered stolen getaway cars to open them.

They would dump the vehicles after.

All were snared after the Met’s Flying Squad launched Operation Voador to catch the gang and Brothers was caught during a botched raid in Maida Vale in November last year.

Knapper and Taibi were arrested on 17 December and Forde was arrested on February 28 this year when he was found hiding in a hidden compartment in his girlfriend’s bed divan during an arrest enquiry.

Wilson confessed his involvement whilst he was in police custody for unrelated matters.

Knapper and Brothers pleaded guilty to one count each of robbery between December and November 2012.

Brothers also admitted an additional count of robbery.

Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery while Forde and Taibi along with Knapper admitted money laundering after evidence showed them laundering dye stained money from one of the robberies in a bookmakers.

All had pleaded guilty during an earlier trial.

Last week at Harrow Crown Court Brothers and Knapper was sentenced to five years.

Wilson was jailed for 15 months, Forde and Taibi received six months.

Knapper was also given a further one month imprisonment for breach of a suspended sentence.

DCI Harry Hennigan, investigating officer, said: “These individuals had a significant impact on crime against cash in transit deliveries and their arrests and convictions bring an end to their offending spree.”

Clcik on picture gallery at the right to see the four other men.