West Ealing Man Jailed For Cash Van Robberies

Gang sentenced to a total of 25 years

A local man was the ringleader of a gang who stole almost £100,000 from cash vans in London.

Steven Fung, 42, of West Ealing, was convicted of conspiracy to rob and jailed for 12 years at the Old Bailey today.

Aziz Dohfi, 30, of Walthamstow, Trevor Hawthorne, 21, and Kevin Arias-Rodrigues, 20, both of Kennington,  who admitted the offences were jailed for seven, five and three years respectively.

The robbers struck at night as vans delivered money to Abbey branches in Chiswick High Road and Cheapside, robbing the latter twice.

The cash was then given in a briefcase to a smartly-dressed man who escaped by Tube by posing as a businessman.

CCTV shown in court showed Dohfi escaping after one of the robberies.

Judge Recorder Oliver Sells QC said: "This was without doubt a serious, organised campaign of robbery.

"Those delivering the cash were particularly vulnerable late at night on empty streets as they were performing their service to the public."

Det Insp Glyn Whittick, of City of London police, said: "Today's sentencing shows how modern policing techniques are being used to bring violent criminals to justice.

"This gang were ruthlessly efficient and careful not to leave any forensic trace behind, but through our hi-tech investigation we were able to place them at the scene of the crime, and ultimately secure this conviction."

The have been jailed for a total of 25 years.

16 November 2010