Orpington man was ‘mastermind’ behind bike theft gang

Louey Baldwin, 29, of Wendover Way, was jailed for two years and nine months on Friday (February 9).

An investigation revealed that the organised crime gang had stolen more than £100,000 worth of bikes over a two-year period. 

City of London Police detectives caught the gang after a bike was stolen in November 2020, and officers tracked it to a warehouse in east London. 

A total of 57 bikes were recovered from the warehouse. 

CCTV footage showed the bike thieves entering the warehouse on a daily basis and some of the defendants were seen on security footage dismantling the bikes. 

Baldwin was seen on the footage to hand over angle grinders, a common tool used to steal bikes, to the thieves 

Three other men were sentenced alongside Baldwin: 

• Suleyman Akram, 30, of St Elmos Road, Southwark, has been sentenced to two years and six months. 
• Ryan Boxcer, 32, of Gunner Rise, Shoeburyness, has been given a two year suspended sentence. 
• Gavin McKie, 29, of Hill House Road, Dartford, has been given a 10 month suspended sentence. 

Suleyman Akram (Image: City of London Police)

Detective Constable Matt Cooper, in the Serious Organised Crime Team at City of London Police, said: “The City of London Police has been working tirelessly to catch and bring bike thieves and their handlers to justice, employing technology and innovative techniques to limit their opportunities to commit more criminal activities. 

“Today’s sentencing shows our dedication and work to achieve this outcome. 

“This group stole thousands of pounds worth of bikes, and since their arrests we have had a significant  reduction in offences reported as a result of the disruption to the handling mechanism in place for thieves targeting the City offences.”