A foolish burglar who recorded himself putting on a balaclava and flaunting stolen cash has been sentenced to six years in prison, with police dubbing the footage "key evidence" in convicting him and his accomplices.
The 'Not So Bright' Burglar's Home Movies
Lancashire Police described masked thief Hamza Ghafoor, 22, from Bradford, as "not the brightest burglar of the bunch" after he made the astonishing error of filming himself before and after committing break-ins. The clips, which showed him cruising in luxury cars and clutching wads of cash, were discovered on his phone following his arrest.
In a social media post accompanied by jaunty music, the force stated: "The joke is on him though, as this turned out to be key evidence in convicting him and four others of conspiring to commit burglary."
A Spree of High-Value Vehicle Thefts
The gang's crime wave took place between September and November 2023, during which they travelled approximately 54 miles from West Yorkshire to target properties across East Lancashire. Their focus was stealing high-value vehicles from areas including Pendle, Blackburn, the Ribble Valley, Hyndburn, and Chorley.
The stolen cars were often driven in convoy at dangerous speeds, with several involved in collisions. Notable incidents included:
- The theft of a £35,000 Volkswagen Tiguan from a property in Colne on September 11th, 2023. The vehicle was abandoned after a police pursuit, with its £2,500 sound system removed.
- The theft of a £79,000 BMW X3 from a home in Langho on October 30th, 2023. The owner only discovered the crime when police informed him it had been crashed in Bradford.
Detectives from Operation Swindon pieced together the case using CCTV, forensic evidence like fingerprints and DNA, and other clues including a cracked iPhone left in one stolen car.
Justice Served: A Gang Taken Down
When officers arrested Ghafoor, they not only found the damning videos on his phone but also pictures of a stolen Mercedes. A search of his bedroom revealed a Louis Vuitton bag containing hundreds of wraps of crack cocaine and heroin.
The evidence, significantly bolstered by Ghafoor's own recordings, led to the conviction of six individuals. The total jail time for the gang amounted to 15 years.
The convicted men are:
- Hamza Ghafoor, 22, of Sunderland Road, Bradford: jailed for six years.
- Mohammed Zubhir, 24, of Clayton Road, Bradford: jailed for three years and nine months (DNA found on a lighter in a stolen car).
- Jordan May, 23, of no fixed address: jailed for three years and four months.
- Denzel Maduma, 20, of Thorpe Audlin, Pontefract: jailed for three years and four months.
- Kamran Ahmed, 23, of Thorpe Street, Halifax: jailed for two years (DNA recovered from a driver's airbag).
- Dylan Shuttleworth, 18, of Trinity Street, Oswaldtwistle: given a 12-month youth referral order.
Ghafoor was sentenced on January 5th, while the others were sentenced last year. Detective Constable Tom Archer noted: "The majority of the offenders in this case were already serving prison sentences for similar offences committed in other force areas at the time of sentencing. It is, however, satisfying to know that they will now have to spend even longer behind bars."
