Bingo Hall Robbers Found Guilty

Bogus caller crime and gangs taking on the identity of respected officials and authority holders are a terrifying crime for the victims. Anyone being led to believe they are dealing with legitimate professionals only to later find they are being duped can not only suffer anguish at the robbery, they can also question themselves over whether they did enough during the process. This can cause untold stress in the long run for the victims, which is clearly something that can stay with people for a long time.

Bingo hall raid netting £35,000

A gang operating in Leicester and beyond have been on trial for crimes committed in the Midlands. The five men were on trial for six crimes dating all the way back to 2009 and between them they have received a jail term of 30 years. In one of the raids, the men entered a bingo hall in Northamptonshire, tied up staff members and placed hoods over their heads while the raid took place. In the end, the gang managed to get away with £35,000 during this bingo hall raid.

The longest sentence was handed out to Wayne Vakani, who received 8 years in prison. Mr Wakani pleaded guilty to being involved in three of the raids over the time period. This included the bingo hall raid and a raid on a business near the Leicester Royal Infirmary and on a home in Narborough Road. Benjamin Chisholm was also sentenced to 8 years in prison for his part in the robberies and Ibrahim Razak was sentenced to 7 years in prison for his part in the raids.

The Judge presiding over the case stated; “Each of one of you was directly involved in one or more of these incidents taking place in furtherance of this conspiracy. It’s clear you all became part of an agreement where force was to be used if necessary.”

A spokesperson for the Leicestershire Police, DC Gary Dickinson, stated; “This was a complex case which involved three forces and resulted in five offenders receiving excellent sentences. Those offenders posed as someone the victims believed they could trust in order to carry out their crimes and the sentences they have received reflect the severity of their actions.”

It is always helpful to be reminded that not everyone is who they claim to be and that people should always ask for ID before allowing people to gain entry. However, this is easier said than done and gang may not always take no for an answer.