A police helicopter search and dog unit led police to the trio hiding in the bushes
Three London burglars were caught by officers after running through a red light, sparking a police dog and helicopter search which ended with them being arrested while hiding in bushes at a nearby golf club. Charlie Stewart, 37, of Raynes Park, South West London, Ben Belhaj-Farhat, 38, of no fixed abode, and Junior Suban, of Fulham, have each been jailed for two years and five months after raiding a home in Ockham, Surrey, on Friday, October 10.
The trio broke into the rural property and stole a gun safe containing an air rifle, as well as cash. The burglary had not yet been reported at 5pm that day, when patrol officers on New Haw Road in Addlestone noticed the white Ford Transit van drive straight through a red light.
A search of the vehicle’s registration plate showed it was marked for outstanding offences by the Met. Police indicated for the van to stop and pull over, but it did not, so officers pursued them. The van was being driven dangerously by Stewart through Chertsey and Lyne during the chase. The men eventually abandoned the vehicle at Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water.
National Police Air Service (NPAS) and dog units were used in a manhunt and with the help of thermal imaging, the three men were found hiding in the undergrowth a short distance from where they had fled from the van. Stewart, the driver of the vehicle, had no driver’s licence, Belhaj-Farhat was found in possession of cannabis, and Suban had £255 cash on him. All three men were arrested for conspiracy to burgle and were taken to custody.
When officers searched the van, they found the gun safe, and a personalised birthday card from a well-known card retailer was found in the van which had pictures of one of the men on it. Investigators were able to link the suspects to the burglary, which was reported by the homeowner at 9.30pm that evening.
Appearing at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 28 November, the trio were sentenced to 29 months in prison each. All three were also ordered to pay £228 in costs.
Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Josh Hillman said: “Stewart was driving extremely dangerously, including on the wrong side of the road at times. Thankfully, no one was hurt, especially as he does not have a driving licence. This was a great result off the back of some excellent teamwork involving officers on the ground, police dogs, and NPAS. This teamwork enabled us to locate all three men and bring them to justice.”
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