A series of high-value watch thefts in London's affluent areas, involving Algerian migrants and asylum seekers, has resulted in prison sentences and referrals for deportation. The cases have raised concerns about organized crime and the effectiveness of deportation proceedings.
Zakaria Senouci, 27, stole a £30,000 Patek Philippe watch from 73-year-old Sunil Chopra in April 2025 near Hyde Park, according to Southwark Crown Court. Senouci changed his plea to guilty to robbery on the first day of his trial, multiple sources reported. He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. Senouci is an Algerian asylum seeker; his case will be referred to the Secretary of State for a deportation decision after his sentence, according to multiple reports.
Belal Amine, 26, and Gabriel Kamali, 23, stole a £65,000 Patek Philippe watch from Besart Krasniqi in Mayfair on May 11, 2024, according to court records. Amine and Kamali were smuggled across the English Channel in 2019, multiple sources reported. Kamali was described as the group's 'spotter' who identified the watch as genuine high-value, according to multiple reports. The watch was never recovered. Kamali pleaded guilty to robbery; Amine was convicted after a trial, multiple sources reported.
Abdulkarim Ienbuzir, 25, stole watches worth over £100,000: a £5,000 Cartier, £18,000 Hublot, and £85,000 Patek Philippe from three victims in Mayfair between July and September 2024, according to Southwark Crown Court. Ienbuzir was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, multiple sources reported. Ienbuzir is an Algerian migrant and an absconder from asylum application, according to Judge Mark Cole. Judge Cole called Ienbuzir a 'systematic predator', according to a press conference.
The robbery was 'a serious, planned, group attack'.
BBC Breakfast presenter Ben Thompson had his £7,000 watch stolen by a gang of six in Mayfair; his friend Roja Dove had his £150,000 Patek Philippe stolen, according to court records. Thompson's Rolex was a birthday gift from his partner and had been custom engraved, according to research. The robbery was carried out by a gang of six men as they left a restaurant in Mayfair, according to research. Two members of the gang were identified through CCTV footage and sentenced at the Old Bailey, according to research. Hocine Boulanouar, 26, denied two counts of robbery but was convicted and sentenced to four years, according to research. However, according to Mr Recorder Jeremy Benson, Boulanouar was sentenced to four years and three months; Danis Tom-Deter, 36, was sentenced to two years and nine months. Boulanouar was in breach of a six-month suspended sentence when he attacked Thompson, multiple sources reported. Boulanouar denied involvement despite CCTV evidence; Tom-Deter admitted his role, multiple sources reported. The pair had reportedly been followed after leaving Cecconi's restaurant in Mayfair in March last year before being confronted by the group, according to reports. Judge Perrins called the robbery 'a serious, planned, group attack', according to a press conference.
Thompson said he feels 'nervous and jumpy' and no longer feels safe in London, according to a press conference. He added: 'I am nervous and jumpy when I hear a jogger or cyclist approaching behind me.' Dove said his behaviour has completely altered and he feels very unsafe in London, according to a press conference. He said: 'I have worked hard for everything I have. The watch was a present to myself when I reached the age of 65. The theft of the watch has meant all my hard work has been pointless.' He added: 'When I walk through the streets of central London I feel like I am on high alert and I am very nervous. I feel very unsafe in London, a city I have loved my entire life.'
The scale of the problem and potential links between perpetrators remain unknown, as do the recovery rates of stolen watches and specific police measures. The cases highlight concerns about asylum seekers involved in organized crime and the effectiveness of deportation proceedings. The thefts underscore the need for enhanced security in high-end retail and tourist areas, and for better coordination between law enforcement and immigration authorities.
In unrelated incidents, Love Island star Lauren Wood's £1,000 Louis Vuitton handbag was stolen in London, likely on the Tube or in Leicester Square, according to Wood. Wood appeared on Series 12 of Love Island, according to multiple sources. Actor Rajshri Deshpande has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, according to research. The disease was detected during a routine check-up and she is now recovering after surgery, according to research.