Blackmail gang threatened to cut off American tourist’s fingers

Five gang members who abducted an American tourist in a ‘honeytrap’ sting and demanded £50,000 from his terrified relatives were jailed for more than 30 years.

Ayub Ali, from San Diego, California, was ‘lured’ to an Airbnb in Wembley on 4 October last year and forced into a white Mercedes by armed men who threatened to ‘stab him and cut off his fingers’.

Aton Okuefuna, 21, Ayoub Salad, 20, Nathaniel Mebrathu, 20, and Bushra Ahmed, 20, earlier admitted blackmail and false imprisonment.

Okuefuna further admitted cannabis possession while Daevon Desrie, 22 – the only one to stand trial – was convicted of blackmail and false imprisonment by a jury at Southwark Crown Court.

Ahmed had met Mr Ali and his brother Yusef Ahmed in the days leading up to the kidnap when she tried on a Rolex and took a selfie with it.

The brothers had also posted photos of themselves online with luxury watches and cars.

She ‘enticed’ the pair to an Airbnb at Lawns Court, Wembley, only for the owner to turn them away, saying: ‘There are already too many people in this house, you are not coming in.’

The brothers were then chased down the street by four armed men and Mr Ali was forced into a white Mercedes.

‘Whilst with the men, Mr Ali had his phone taken from him, the men were able to access it and look through it,’ said prosecutor Brett Weaver.

‘They found a picture of a Rolex, which made them believe he had a lot of money.

‘They made phone calls to his family in America’ but were careful to take turns making the demands and ensured each call lasted ‘no more than two minutes.’

Mr Weaver added: ‘He was punched during the calls… they remained with him throughout the time he was there.’

The prosecutor said the blackmailers demanded £50,000 in cash or cryptocurrency from Mr Ali’s relatives, adding: ‘Threats to stab him and cut off his fingers were made if money was not sent.’

Family members were also told Mr Ali ‘would be killed’ if the demand was refused.

Police later arrested the four defendants who were all present in the car with Mr Ali.

Somalia-born Ahmed was arrested at her home later that evening when a search of her phone showed she sent the messages to Mr Ali to lure him to the Airbnb.

Ahmed accepted she had sent them but said they were ‘meant as a joke’.

Reading Mr Ali’s victim personal statement, Mr Weaver said: ‘Before this happened, I felt safe and independent. Since the incident, I no longer feel like the same person.

‘I live with constant fear and anxiety… I am always alert and worried something bad could happen again.

‘I no longer feel safe in situations that used to feel normal to me.

‘I often replay the events in my mind and struggle to process what happened.

‘What happened to me was terrifying… I continue to deal with the consequences every day.

‘This incident has changed me as a person.’

The defendants appeared in court flanked by three prison officers, Ahmed in a grey jumper shrivelled in the corner, Okuefuna in a wrinkly white shirt, and Mebrathu, Salad, and Desrie each in plain t-shirts – speaking only to confirm their names.

Sentencing, Judge Stephen Tomlinson said: ‘You all played a part in the joint enterprise in the kidnap of Ayub Ali, who had travelled here from the West Coast of America.

‘In my judgement it carries no significant weight that some of you came into this later in the offending.

‘The simple fact is once that car was parked, it was evident to everyone at the scene that Ayub Ali was a prisoner, and that he was held at ransom.

‘The offence was clearly committed in the context of other criminal activity, it was clearly committed for financial gain.’

He sentenced the gang to a total of 30 years and five months.

Desrie, of Wembley, stormed out of the dock as he was jailed eight years for false imprisonment and seven years for blackmail, to be served concurrently, as well as 12 months activated from an earlier suspended term.

He was serving a 24-month suspended term at the time of these offences for two counts of supplying Class A drugs and an earlier 24-month conditional discharge for knife and cannabis possession last year.

He denied but was convicted of blackmail and false imprisonment, but acquitted by a jury of kidnap and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

Mebrathu, of Bexley, southeast London, was jailed six and a half years for false imprisonment and five and a half years for blackmail, also to be served concurrently.

He has two previous convictions, one of supply of Class A drugs in 2023 and two offences of theft from person last year. He was on a GPS tag at the time of the offence.

Ahmed, of Deptford, southeast London, was handed five years for false imprisonment and four and a half years for blackmail, to be served concurrently. She has no previous convictions.

Okuefuna, of Wembley, will serve six years for false imprisonment and five years for blackmail concurrently. He has no previous convictions.

Salad, of Camden, north London, was jailed five years and five months for false imprisonment and five concurrent years for blackmail.

He has no previous convictions but was on police bail for a separate matter now discontinued at the time of the offence.

They each admitted blackmail and false imprisonment.
ENDS