Cop in Rolex robbers sting was wearing a genuine £45k watch

Four masked robbers left an undercover cop fearing for his life when they wrenched a £45,000 Rolex watch from his wrist, a court heard.

Abdi Hassan, 19, Mohammed Khadir, 20, Minhaj Hussain, 19, and Faysal Jelali, 19, targeted the officer in Soho, central London, in the early hours of 24 September 2023.

The officer, nicknamed ‘Baz’, was part of a Met Police operation set up to tackle the epidemic of luxury watch robberies in the capital, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Martin Lewis told how the victim was robbed their victim in Soho at 4am on 24 September 2023.

‘Before then there had been an arrangement whereby an undercover officer, codenamed ‘Baz’, would linger in Soho wearing an expensive Rolex watch.

‘That watch was a genuine article valued at £45,000.

‘While he was in Soho, Baz entered into conversation with Mr Hussain, who told by the officer that he was wearing a genuine Rolex. Mr Hussain became interested in this.

‘The evidence is that while he was in Baz’s company he contacted associates. They met up with Mr Hussain.

‘These other defendants joined Baz and Hussain after a little while. They were in conversation for longer than you would imagine, nearly an hour, during which time they travelled in and around Soho.’

Mr Lewis explained that the others then robbed the officer, saying: ‘They held a cover over his face. He could barely breathe.

‘There was a struggle between the defendants, but Mr Hussain says he didn’t join in that physical attack.

‘Baz was prevented from breathing while his face, nose and mouth were covered.

‘There was a struggle to get the watch off his wrist, and eventually they succeeded and left.

‘They ran away from the scene, being pursued by officers in the area who were party to the operation.

‘They were arrested and taken to the police station and in due course they were charged.’

The watch was recovered.

Mr Lewis added: ‘There was a degree of force. He was held down and the watch was wrestled off his wrist.’

In his statement the officer said: ‘Before I knew it I was jumped on.

‘My face and mouth were smothered. I felt that one person then grabbed my left hand and one had grabbed my right hand, and my face was covered.’

He continued: ‘As the watch wasn’t coming off my hand easily I could feel their intensity growing.

‘I was in fear of my life. There were four males on top of me.

‘I heard words to the effect of “Take everything, take everything”.’

Giles Newell, defending Hussain, told the court: ‘There was no significant harm, other than the very frightening experience.’

Khadir’s lawyer Anita Clifford asked the judge should show leniency to her client as he suffers from bipolar disorder.

Judge Nicholas Cole replied: ‘Going out and robbing people is not a normal by-product of bipolar disorder is it.’

Passing sentencing the judge said: ‘You swooped on an undercover police officer not, of course, knowing he was an undercover police officer.

‘He was grabbed after an initial distraction conversation. Hands were placed over over his eyes and mouth to stop him shouting.

‘A watch was taken from his wrist. He felt at the time like he couldn’t move. In his statement he said he was in fear for his life.

‘Notwithstanding this was an undercover police officer this must have been a frightening incident, in which you preyed on a member of the public because he was wearing a very valuable watch valued at £45,000.

‘This was a frightening and violent incident. You were mob-handed, wearing masks and hoods, and preyed on a member of the public, prepared to use force which you did.’

Hassan, of Maida Vale, Khadir, of Kentish Town and Hussain, of Clerkenwell, and Jelali, of Kentish Town, all admitted robbery.

Hassan was given an 18 month sentence, suspended for 24 months, and was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also given a 9pm to 6am curfew for three months.

Khadir was jailed for 18 months while Hussain was given 19 months.

Jelali will be sentenced on 19 December.

In October a machete-wielding 16-year-old was given a 24-month detention order for robbing Snowman singer Aled Jones of his Daytona Rolex in Chiswick, west London. During the horrific attack the teenager threatened to chop Mr Jones’ head off.

In July two robbers who stole a £72,000 diamond-encrusted Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph from former world boxing champion Amir Khan in Leyton, east London, were jailed.