Yet another attack on Watchfinder - Avery Row, London

[alfat33]

There are organised schools — I use the term deliberately — of Eastern Europeans from whom teams will travel over to perpetrate crimes and then fly out before an investigation has even begun.

Haywood, are you able to say how they dispose of the watches before they leave?

[dougair]

Haywood, are you able to say how they dispose of the watches before they leave?

Why would they dispose of them before they leave?

[alfat33]

Why would they dispose of them before they leave?

I was thinking that it would be hard/risky for them to take them with them or ship them home. Do they sell them to someone in the UK already lined up?

[Haywood_Milton]

Haywood, are you able to say how they dispose of the watches before they leave?

Normally we might expect to see a few watches from any number stolen to be identified and recovered in the following months or years.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/175170...it-was-nicked/ (and look at the connections in that one!)

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/...after-13231658

Some of those stolen from Watchfinder in recent times have individually been recovered quite quickly but larger recoveries as in the second link above are occasionally made.

Crucially, though, I have seen very few recoveries arising from the watches taken by the Eastern European gangs, even when the individuals themselves are caught.

My own belief is that many of these watches leave the country very quickly, most probably headed for parts of the world where scruples and law are not, perhaps, what we might hope.

The appeal of small, high value items that can readily be liquidated means that crime will always be a side to our trade. I am well aware of two significant UK investigations at the moment which, with luck, will be major news stories here in due course.

H

[alfat33]

Crucially, though, I have seen very few recoveries arising from the watches taken by the Eastern European gangs, even when the individuals themselves are caught.

My own belief is that many of these watches leave the country very quickly, most probably headed for parts of the world where scruples and law are not, perhaps, what we might hope.

Thanks Haywood. I hadn't realised what a well organised (and nasty) criminal enterprise it is.

[Evanssprky]

Haywood, are you able to say how they dispose of the watches before they leave?

Post them to themselves?

[alfat33]

Post them to themselves?

If intercepted, that might give the police a few clues to track them down :)

By what Haywood said they obviously can get them out of the country, whether posting, smuggling, etc. A friend had his stolen Range Rover recovered from a container at Harwich on it's way somewhere East so I guess watches are easy by comparison.

[Carlton-Browne]

A friend had his stolen Range Rover recovered from a container at Harwich on it's way somewhere East so I guess watches are easy by comparison.

This brings to mind an apocryphal slogan from the, probably mythical, Ukrainian Tourist Authority - "Come to the the Ukraine; your car is already here!"

In the past I've used Shiply to move bits and bobs between London and Berlin. It wouldn't be difficult to put a few watches in a chest of drawers; they'd hardly show up even if customs somewhere did decide to X-ray the van.

[Evanssprky]

If intercepted, that might give the police a few clues to track them down :)

By what Haywood said they obviously can get them out of the country, whether posting, smuggling, etc. A friend had his stolen Range Rover recovered from a container at Harwich on it's way somewhere East so I guess watches are easy by comparison.

If they are an organised criminal gang, they could have them delivered to a mail box, and send a disposable lackey to pick them up.

[alfat33]

If they are an organised criminal gang, they could have them delivered to a mail box, and send a disposable lackey to pick them up.

True but Carlton-Browne's method seems a bit more sustainable.

Where is Jim Banana when we need him?

[Evanssprky]

True but Carlton-Browne's method seems a bit more sustainable.

Where is Jim Banana when we need him?

Both methods will work obviously, and they assume only a small percentage of interceptions. Not sure what your point is concerning Mr.Banana.

[alfat33]

Both methods will work obviously, and they assume only a small percentage of interceptions. Not sure what your point is concerning Mr.Banana.

I'm sure you are right, to be honest my expertise in handling stolen goods is pretty low. I just had an idea they might run out of lackeys after a while.

You can read about Jim Banana here:

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...the-fundraiser

I should add that I'm not making light of the activities of these violent criminal gangs.