Two Algerian migrants have been sentenced at Southwark Crown Court for a series of daring luxury watch robberies targeting passengers entering black cabs in London’s West End between 2022 and 2025.
Txomin Huare-Place, 30, from Lewisham, and 23-year-old Ayoub Harek, who has no fixed address, forcibly stole three Patek Philippe watches valued at £136,000 in total before fleeing the scene on Lime bikes.
The pair snatched high-end timepieces across separate incidents, including a £32,000 watch in July 2022, followed by a £44,000 and then a £60,000 watch in June 2025, both taken within days. Their method involved assaulting passengers as they got into their black cabs in central London.
The judge handed down a sentence of three years and nine months for Huare-Place, convicting him of three counts of robbery. Harek was sentenced to three years for two counts of robbery. Both defendants required Arabic interpreters during proceedings.
After stealing the watches, the pair made quick escapes on Lime bikes, complicating police efforts initially. Their use of the popular bike-sharing scheme enabled rapid movements through busy areas in the West End.
Detectives investigating these offences continue to urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour involving luxury goods or similar robbery patterns in the area. The sentences serve as a warning to those exploiting vulnerable passengers around London’s transport hubs.
Originally published by UKNIP.
