Crypto-robbing teenagers caught by police after detectives tracked their takeaway orders

Four teenagers have been jailed after stealing £115,000 worth of cryptocurrency in a series of knifepoint robberies across the capital.

Daniel Boakye, 18, from Enfield, was jailed for six years and five months after being convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery at Wood Green Crown Court.

Nathan Mohalland, 19, was convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, robbery and possession of a bladed article. He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment with five additional years on licence.

Justin Popoola, 19, of Rushcroft Road, Chingford, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after being convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery.

Another male, aged 17, was sentenced to two years and nine months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery.

The court heard how the group carried out a spate of robberies across London from June 2021 to January 2022.

The teens would threaten victims with knives and force them to hand over their phones and provide the passcodes needed to unlock the devices.

Then they’d siphon off the victims’ cryptocurrency into ‘hot wallets’, resulting in more than £155,000 worth of the digital currency being stolen.

The group also used stored bank information to purchase top-up cards, taxi journeys and complete other fraudulent transactions.

Detectives were able to track them down after they used the stolen bank information to order takeaways to their home addresses.

Detective James Green, of the Specialist Crime Command, said: “In total, there were 19 robberies within the conspiracy in which 26 people were robbed. During my career as a police officer I have not come across criminals of such a cowardly nature.

“The group singled out innocent members of the public whilst armed with weapons in order to rob them of their mobile phones and digital currencies.

“They would insinuate that the victims were members of an opposing gang, whilst all knew that these were innocent members of the public.”