Thieves who targeted Haringey mobile phone shops sentenced

The men stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of phones and were part of an organised criminal network

Four men who carried out a series of mobile phone robberies across London – including two in Haringey – have been sentenced following their convictions.

The men stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of phones. They were part of an organised criminal network responsible for targeting phone stores and stealing around £150,000 worth of mobile devices, including Apple iPhones.

The sentences follow an investigation by detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s flying squad, a specialist team that investigates high-value commercial robberies, who analysed hours of CCTV footage, forensic evidence and mobile phone data to identify those involved.

Detective Chief Inspector Laura Hillier said: “These criminals thought they could terrorise shop staff, steal phones and vanish without a trace. They were wrong.

“Our detectives worked quickly, piecing together CCTV, phone data and forensic evidence to catch them.

“Commercial robberies across London are down 13% because of our relentless 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.”

Between 28th May and 9th June 2025, the gang targeted six Three and O2 stores across London, including in Lewisham, Woolwich, Wood Green, Haringey, Sutton and Colliers Wood. The men threatened staff, forced access to storerooms and safes and stole high-value mobile phones worth tens of thousands of pounds. In Woolwich alone, around £30,000 worth of phones were stolen.

Having painstakingly pieced together the gang’s movements through CCTV, forensic evidence, mobile phone data and surveillance, detectives identified where they were likely to strike next and launched a covert operation in Sutton. When the gang attempted the robbery, officers were already in position. As the suspects fled, police swiftly moved in, blocking their vehicles and making arrests.

Kevlin Duarte was arrested on Saturday, 7th June 2025, after officers stopped a vehicle linked to a phone shop robbery. He fled on foot, but officers chased him down and arrested him. During the pursuit, Duarte dropped a mobile phone that was later confirmed to have been stolen from the O2 store in Colliers Wood earlier that day.

Sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Friday (6th), after being convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery following a trial at the same court, were Sammie Govera, aged 32 and of The Redlands in Newport, sentenced to 13 years and six months’ imprisonment; Kevlin Duarte, aged 19 and of Durell Road in Dagenham, sentenced to one year and ten months in a young offender institution; Louis Pandanzyla, aged 18 and of Clarence Avenue in Upminster, was sentenced to an 18-month community order including 150 hours of unpaid work; a fourth defendant, who is under 18 and cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to a twelve-month youth rehabilitation order with intensive supervision.

The sentences come as the Met continues a crackdown on commercial robberies – with offences across London down 12.6% in the twelve months ending September, compared to the previous period.

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