London gang jailed for stealing 73 cars using key-emulator devices

A four‑man gang has been jailed for a seven‑month spree in which they stole 73 cars across London, using electronic key‑emulator devices to bypass vehicle security. CCTV footage showed Kabir Ahmed, 35, using a key emulator to unlock a vehicle parked outside a home in Brockley, southeast London, on July 10 last year. He calmly climbed into the driver’s seat as accomplices followed in a stolen Toyota Prius and drove off, illustrating the method that prosecutors described as central to the crimes.

Ahmed was part of a group also comprising Mohammed Ahmed, 30; Muhammed Ali, 34; and Paul Barringer, 33, who snatched vehicles “to order” for clients abroad. Over seven months they targeted residential streets for SUVs during the day, before returning under cover of darkness to take them. They also broke into homes to grab keys, a tactic that extended the reach of the thefts beyond a single location. Detectives opened the investigation in July 2024 after dozens of similar thefts were reported, and they connected the group to the majority of the vehicles through CCTV, forensic analysis and the recovery of a reprogramming device from inside a car used in the crimes.

The four men were arrested after officers trailed a stolen car with false plates that was used to target further vehicles. Mohammed Ahmed, Ali and Barringer were taken into custody on the spot, with a reprogramming device recovered from inside their car. Kabir Ahmed was detained a week later after being spotted climbing into a stolen Prius in Hornchurch, with another emulator found on him at that time. The device used in the crimes is typically employed by locksmiths and works by bypassing security systems—emulating a working key to allow the programming of new keys even when the originals are missing.

In total, police recovered 27 of the stolen cars, though some had already been shipped overseas in containers. The other vehicles were valued at between £1.1 million and £1.7 million. The defendants admitted conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and conspiracy to conceal criminal property at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Mohammed Ahmed was jailed for five years, Ali for five years and 10 months, Kabir Ahmed for four years and eight months, and Barringer for two years and six months.

The court heard that the vehicles were stolen to order for buyers abroad and included makes such as Toyota, Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi. The investigation, led by the Metropolis Police Service’s Specialist Crime Command, forms part of a broader push to reduce vehicle offences. Detective Inspector Damian Hill said the operation illustrates the force’s focus on eliminating prolific offenders and protecting Londoners from theft that can devastate victims’ lives. He noted that vehicle offences have fallen by about 18% since the start of 2025, reflecting ongoing efforts to disrupt organized car theft networks and clamp down on these brazen operations.

The case underscores the risk posed by modern theft methods that rely on electronic emulation to defeat car security systems. It also highlights the challenges of recovering vehicles that are quickly moved or exported after theft. As police continue to pursue suspects and monitor trafficking routes for stolen vehicles, authorities say coordinated operations and the use of forensic and surveillance evidence remain key to dismantling organized crime rings that target high‑value automobiles across the capital.