Violent Burglary Gangs Linked to 50 Raids as Police Face Criticism

Violent burglary rings, described as "traveller burglary squads," have been linked to approximately 50 house break-ins across London and the Home Counties, with the Metropolitan Police facing accusations of failing to address the escalating crime spree. These groups, reportedly clad in black, are allegedly smashing their way into homes in affluent neighborhoods and stealing substantial amounts of cash, jewelry, watches, and even entire safes.

Doorbell camera footage from one incident shows three masked individuals using crowbars to force entry into a home in a north London suburb, subsequently stealing the keys to a £100,000 Mercedes parked outside. In a display of apparent professional tactics, one of the intruders is seen spraying a substance, believed to be ammonia, onto the ground, potentially to destroy DNA evidence.

David McKelvey, a former Detective Chief Inspector for the Met Police and now head of private investigation firm TM Eye, stated that his company has identified 50 burglaries, aggravated burglaries, and attempted burglaries attributed to this gang since early September. The raids have primarily targeted high-end areas in north London, including Hampstead and Highgate, as well as parts of Hertfordshire. TM Eye began its investigation due to its sister private security company patrolling these areas.

McKelvey suspects the gang comprises Irish travelers operating in at least three separate teams, each with three to four members. These groups are reportedly striking up to 15 properties daily, excluding Sundays, before returning to traveler sites. He also suggests that some gang members may be individuals previously convicted of burglary, whose cases were brought to the police's attention by his investigators in 2022 and 2023. McKelvey further claims that at least two individuals, possibly involved in the current spree, were released early under Labour's early release scheme and may have returned to similar criminal activity.

"This type of offence is escalating because the Met Police has dismantled dedicated burglary squads to save money and burglary is no longer a priority for the force," McKelvey told the Daily Mail. "Residents in the areas we patrol are terrified their property is going to be next. These offenders are violent and have a total disregard for whether the property is occupied or not with terrified homeowners having to face the masked intruders forcing their way into their homes on many occasions."

One of the earliest traced raids occurred on September 11 in Highgate, where burglars broke into a property occupied by a mother and her children. On September 30, five burglaries or attempted burglaries were reported in the Highgate area, with two more in the same vicinity the night before. The break-in captured on camera in Grange Park, Enfield, on October 2, involved three men arriving in a blue BMW fitted with fake license plates. They used crowbars and force to break down the front door.

TM Eye has linked the gang to six stolen vehicles, which they allegedly use for their operations, switching to stolen cars with fake plates for the raids. These vehicles are reportedly wiped down with ammonia before being hidden, with the suspects departing in other cars. McKelvey described the perpetrators as "highly organised, prolific criminals" and warned about the consequences of dismantling dedicated burglary squads and the release of previously convicted burglars.

McKelvey claims his firm has had to involve the office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan to get the Met Police to take the recent spate of burglaries seriously, despite sharing intelligence with the force. The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime and the Met Police have been contacted for comment.