A gang responsible for stealing an estimated £150,000 worth of phones from six O2 and Three stores across London has been jailed for a combined total of 15 years. The group targeted shops between May 28 and June 9, 2025, wearing dark clothing, balaclavas, and gloves.

Sammie Govera, 32, has been sentenced to 13 years and six months for his leading role in the conspiracy. He used a Snapchat group named '8.30am' to recruit teenagers and coordinate the robberies. During the sentencing at Croydon Crown Court, Judge Antony Dunne described the offences as "carefully planned robberies by an organised and professional group."

The court heard that Govera exploited younger participants. His defense stated his offending was driven by "entrenched substance use" and a "childhood marked by trauma."

Kevlin Duarte, 20, received a 22-month sentence in a young offenders' institution, with his defense noting he had been "sofa surfing" and "followed the others like a fool." Louis Pandanzyla, 19, who was 17 at the time of the offences, was given an 18-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work. The judge noted Pandanzyla was "exploited by older men" and encouraged him to pursue his "bright future" as a semi-professional footballer and PE teacher.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, received a one-year youth rehabilitation order. The court was told he had a background of poverty and bereavement and had also been exploited by older gang members.

One of the most significant individual raids involved the theft of £30,000 worth of phones from a Three store in Woolwich. During a robbery in Lewisham on May 28, one gang member threatened staff by saying "we should have brought shanks," while another punched a customer who intervened. In a separate incident at an O2 store in Colliers Wood on June 7, a gang member punched a female staff member in the chest to force her to open a stockroom door.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad apprehended the gang on June 9, 2025, as they attempted to rob an O2 shop in Sutton. This arrest followed a covert surveillance operation.

Prosecutors stated the robberies left staff members "traumatised" and resulted in a loss of at least £128,000 in phones. The total estimated value of the stolen devices is around £150,000.

O2 reported implementing additional security measures, including a one-in-one-out entry policy, which led to lost trade and increased costs.

A total of ten people have been convicted in connection with the robbery spree. Getaway driver Saleem Ramzan, 50, died in February before he could be sentenced.

Detective Chief Inspector Laura Hillier of the Met's Flying Squad said, "These criminals thought they could terrorise shop staff, steal phones and vanish without a trace. They were wrong." She added that commercial robberies in London are down 13 percent due to the police's focus on pursuing and arresting those responsible. "Let this serve as a warning: if you commit robbery in London, we will find you and bring you to justice," she stated.